


Cold Truth

by Katyakora



Series: Know Me Truly [1]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Destiny Fix-It, F/M, M/M, Multi, OT3, coldflash - Freeform, coldwest, coldwestallen, implied jarrison, minor goldenvibe, minor killerwave, so many background ships, westallen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-05-14 11:39:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 59,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5742409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katyakora/pseuds/Katyakora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christmas may have been the first time they met, but Iris has known Leonard Snart a lot longer than she thought</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Crime and Sugar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2x09 gave me a need for coldwest and coldwestallen. Tragically, the internet failed to provide, so I've been writing this when Take my hand is being difficult. Will probably eventually turn into coldwestallen.

It started out as research. Because of course Cold read every scrap of information he could find on the Flash. Knowledge was power, and the speedster already had a rather unfair advantage. He found Iris’ blog rather quickly, it was quite popular. After reading a few posts, it wasn’t hard to see why. The author, though clearly still green, had a gift for prose that held the reader’s attention, even when discussing something as simple as a sighting of a blur. The theories presented were insightful, and from Cold’s (admittedly limited) experience, fairly accurate.

 

He makes an anonymous comment, leaving an honest compliment and asking a couple of vague yet insightful questions. The reply is enthusiastic, although regretful that the questions couldn’t be answered as well as they had liked. Personally, Snart disagrees, happy with the information provided, and simply sends his thanks.

 

 When she actually signs a post with her name, Cold does some digging. He tells himself it’s simply to see if there’s a further connection to the Flash in her personal life. But the truth is he’s intrigued. After all, he hasn’t actually met anyone else who shares his interest (obsession) with the Flash.

 

He’s not gonna lie, it was a little disappointing to learn she was a cop’s daughter, but Joe West seemed like the exact opposite of Lewis Snart, so he didn’t dwell. Discovering her absent mother added to the strange sense of kinship he was developing for a girl he’d never met. Iris was intelligent, loyal and dedicated. It was as he contemplated orchestrating events that allowed him to meet her that he had to snap himself out of it.  His research had gone far beyond looking for a connection to the Flash. He needed to focus.

 

Still, he kept up with her blog, and when she moved to Picture News, he found himself ordering a subscription. He genuinely enjoyed reading her work, why shouldn’t he patronise her publication? If he sent in a couple of letters to the editor reviewing her work, it was simply because he wanted to help her improve. He never expected her to actually seek out his opinion, but he was flattered none the less when she contacted him again via the message-boards, enough to offer his private email. The email correspondence between the unlikely pen-pals continued, soon extending beyond professional critique into friendly conversation. 

 

Of course, his interest in Iris West compounded significantly when he learned that their shared obsession, the Flash, was none other than her foster-brother, Barry Allen.

* * *

 

Iris always looked forward to hearing from Leo Wynters. His critical analysis of her writing was always constructive and often complimentary. She could honestly say that his feedback had made her a better writer. She’d first encountered him as a follower of her Flash blog. She’d enjoyed exchanging theories and suppositions with him on the message-boards, buoyed by the knowledge that she wasn’t alone in the hunt for this impossible man.

 

It had been mildly concerning when he followed her transition to Picture News. Letters to the editor began arriving, all discussing her articles, all signed L. Wynters. But every missive was solely professional, a source of honest critique that never once touched on her personally. Eventually she decided he was just the good kind of fan. One day, when she was particularly stuck, she reached out to him on her old blog’s message-board. He had seemed honestly surprised that she would want his opinion enough to look him up and their discussion lasted hours. He even offered to give her his email, if she ever wanted his insight again.

 

She used to make fun of Barry for having internet friends, and now she had one of her own. That she had considered him a friend was what made this discovery sting the most. The compliment she’d read in an email that very morning had just come out of Captain Cold’s mouth.

 

Leo Wynters was Leonard Snart.

* * *

 

Iris didn’t know why she didn’t tell Barry. Perhaps a part of her was ashamed that she had failed to realise that her pen-pal was, in fact, a career criminal. She should have figured it out from his unnatural love of puns alone. But she had been blind and it hurt both her personal pride and her professional pride as an investigator. Leo had been a friend and learning the truth of his identity felt like a terrible betrayal. So she didn’t tell barry that she had been talking to Snart for months, but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t seriously angry and hurt.

 

It really shouldn’t have surprised her that she slapped him soundly across the face when she bumped into him in the street. 

 

He froze, his head jerked to one side, those intense blue eyes wide and blinking owlishly as he processed what had just happened. His head turned to meet her gaze in a slow, measured move, the intimidation factor marred by the pink mark blooming across his left cheek.

 

“I’m not entirely sure I deserved that, Miss West,” he drawled finally, that familiar infuriating smirk falling into place. His eyes were still incredulous though, the sheer nerve of her attack throwing him off balance.

 

“How bout I jog your memory?” It occurred to her that striking and arguing with a supervillain in the middle of the street was both very brave and entirely idiotic, but she was too angry to really care. “You,” she emphasised the word by jabbing him in his trenchcoat-covered chest, “lied to me. For months. No, over a year!”

 

“Deception is a necessity in my line of work. Besides,” he continued strolling down the street, Iris falling into step against her better judgement. She was headed that way anyway. “as I recall, it was  _ you  _ who sought  _ me  _ out.”

 

“That doesn’t make it OK!” He sighed dramatically. Then again, everything about the man was dramatic. He stopped and faced her.

 

“Miss West, if you insist on having an intelligent argument at this hour of the morning, at least have the decency to wait until I’ve had my coffee. I’m not my best pre-caffeine.” Sure enough, they had stopped just outside Jitters, which had in fact been her own destination. With a scowl, she stepped through the door he mockingly held open for her.

 

“Why?” she asked as they stood in line.

 

“Because years of substance abuse causes one to build up a tolerance and a dependance. That includes caffeine,” he drawled, but she should could tell from his face that he was just playing with her.

 

“Stop that, you know exactly what I mean. Why talk to me at all? Was it because of Barry?”

 

“I’ll admit, it was my initial encounter with him that led to my discovery of your blog.” they reached the head of the line and he paused to order. He turned to her once he was down, raising an eyebrow and tilting his head at the cashier with a smirk. She rolled her eyes and rattled off her own order.

“But,” he continued, “my interest in your professional projects came solely from an appreciation of good writing.” She really wanted to punch him, if only to wipe off that damn smirk. “I’m just a fan.”

 

“Just a fan, huh?” She made it clear in her expression just how much she believed that. “So all those questions you had about the Flash, that was just, what, you making sure I checked my facts?” He gave her a look of derision. 

 

“If you’ll recall, I asked those questions on an open forum, long before I knew who the Flash was and therefore his connection to you. Although, I am curious; did you know who he was, when you were writing that blog?” 

 

“That’s none of your business.”

 

“That’s a no, then. Interesting.” he took both their orders from the barista and headed to a table, forcing her to follow.

 

“So if not because of Barry, then why talk to me? There was nothing in it for you.” He gave her a condescending look as he placed her cup in front of her.

 

“Like I said, I’m a fan. Despite what you and Scarlet seem to think, I do, in fact, have a life outside my day job. Even criminals read the news. Besides,” He tilted his head, intense eyes boring into her above his ever-mocking lips. “I was actually flattered when you approached me.”

 

“Yeah, well I wasn’t exactly aware I was approaching an unrepentant criminal,” she retorted, hoping it didn’t sound as defensive as it felt. 

 

“What can I say, I found my niche early.” His cold, assessing gaze made her feel naked and exposed. She sipped her coffee and tried not to let her nervousness show. It finally occurred to her that she was effectively chatting over coffee with a supervillain. Who had paid for her drink. Eventually, he put his cup down on the table and leaned forward on his elbows.

 

“All right, Miss West, why don’t we talk about why you’re really angry?” She frowned over her coffee.

 

“Didn’t we already cover that?”

 

“Not entirely. You started strong, but got a little derailed by the assumption I was using you for nefarious purposes. I’ve told you before, you have a tendency to drift off-topic when you’re excited.” She bristled at the reminder of their correspondence and easy rapport they used to have.

 

“You lied to me about who you were.”

 

“I was a stranger on the internet using a pseudonym, hardly a crime and more than common. No, you’re angry because you trusted me. A stranger on the internet, might I remind you, not something you should make a habit of. Now, we have never once discussed anything to do with the criminal activities of myself or my associates. In fact, my insight as a criminal has actually benefitted you on several occasions that I know of. My status as a less than law-abiding citizen does not, in any way, affect my ability to critique your work. So, despite your predisposed bias against criminals,  _ who _ I am is not really the issue.” Her gaze was hard as she leaned forward onto her own elbows, entering his space and challenging him.

 

“Then why don’t you enlighten me, since you’re clearly dying to,” she drawled sardonically. He grinned evilly when she threw his words from christmas back at him.

 

“The people you trust have a habit of deceiving you.” He spoke slowly, reading the truth of his statement in her eyes. “You are hurt because it happened again and you are angry  _ at yourself _ because you let it.” Something in her chest twisted at the cruel truth of his words, but she fought to keep her face blank. It wouldn’t pay to show weakness.

 

“You don’t know me,” she said finally. He shrugged.

 

“Maybe, maybe not. But you wanted me to.” She couldn’t stop herself from flinching at that. “Don’t be ashamed, Miss West,” he added, the barest shadow of apology in his voice. “It’s human nature to want to connect.” She cocked her head. That sounded like there was more to it than he’d meant to say. Finally, it all made sense.

 

“So that’s what was in it for you,” she said suddenly, honestly surprised and absolutely sure she was right. She hadn’t been the only one looking for a friend. He was frowning at her now, for the first time looking less than perfectly poised and in control. 

“You’re right, maybe I did want to make a connection. I liked Leo Wynters, he was smart, supportive and knew just how to keep me motivated. And yes, it hurt to know that man didn’t really exist. but I’m not angry at myself for trusting you, I’m angry because the people I trust seem to be incapable of trusting  _ me _ . I knew Leo Wynters, but I don’t know Leonard Snart because you never trusted me enough to get that chance.” That infuriating smirk was gone, replaced by a cold mask of indifference. She wasn’t fooled.

 

“Don’t take it personally. I don’t trust anybody.” She picked up her purse and coffee, needing to put some space between herself and this insufferable man. 

 

“We both know that’s not true.” She slid gracefully off her stool. “You trust Barry.” She caught sight of his eyes widening in surprise before she turned on her heel to leave. “Thanks for the coffee,” she called without looking back.

 

“Don’t mention it,” barely audible, followed her out the door.


	2. Eating with the enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris learns more than she bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't really call this a drabble anymore, it just keeps growing.

“I don’t know what you think I can tell you, girly,” the wizened old bookie grumbled. He peered at her suspiciously over his thick glasses, squinting in the dive bar’s dim lighting.

 

“Mason told me that nobody knows organised crime in this city like you, Mr Lulz,” Iris implored, trying not to think too hard about how sticky the floor was. “I’m aware of the arrangement the two of you had. if you’re willing, I’m happy to honour the terms of that agreement.” Slowly, she pulled a slim box out of her purse and slid it across the table. He looked down at it then back at her, appraising.

 

“I hope you know what you’re getting into. This world ain’t a pretty one. Girl like you would be safer turning a blind eye.” She gave him a small smile, genuinely touched by his concern.

 

“I appreciate that, but I already live in a dangerous world. Keeping my eyes shut will just do more harm than good.” He nodded sagely.

 

“Fair enough. Can’t blame an old man for trying.” Gingerly, he peeked under the box’s lid. His eyes widened in surprise and Iris chuckled.

 

“Mason wasn’t the only one with sources.” The old man tucked the box into his coat, looking a little impressed. He relaxed a little in his chair, finally ready to talk.

 

“I don’t know what I can tell you, girly,” he repeated. “The only story in organised crime these days is that there is none. Ever since Cold showed up, every major player that ain’t dead has has very quickly moved their business elsewhere.”

 

“Cold?” Iris couldn’t hide her surprise. “As in Captain Cold?” The old man snickered into his beer.

 

“A ridiculous moniker, but an apt one. He’s as ruthless as his father was and ten times smarter about it than Lewis could ever hope to be. See, it all started when the Darbinyans were massacred. There was a power vacuum that the Santinis were quick to fill. Only, Cold pays their don a visit, and the next thing anybody knows, every Santini operation gets moved out of town. The russians tried to muscle in, but every building they set up shop in burns to the ground. One don over in Keystone starts making noise about expanding in Central, wakes up to a bed full of pyrite statues that used to be his dogs. Anybody makes a move on Central, or any of the small gangs start getting too big for their britches? The Rogues put them in their place.”

 

“The Rogues?” Lulz rolled his eyes.

 

“Cold’s crew. Craziest pack of mongrels you ever saw, but they're loyal.”

 

“So, what you’re saying is that Cold is Central City’s new kingpin?”

 

“Not exactly. He calls the shots in his own crew, but folks around here have learned that it's in their interest to play by his rules.” Iris frowned, leaning back in her chair as she mulled the information over. There was something missing from the big picture.

 

“Snart has rules? And people actually follow them?”

 

“The smart ones do. They know better than to fuck with a man even the Flash can’t keep down.”

* * *

 

 

Old Mr Lulz’s words were still swimming through Iris’s head as she made her way home. Their deal meant she couldn’t actually print anything he’d told her without finding another credible source to cite instead of him. Even if she could, she wasn’t sure if she’d print it. Barry said there was good in Snart. At the time, she’d been feeling too betrayed to give the matter much thought, but now her doubts in that regard were beginning to dwindle. Based on what she’d learned, Leonard Snart may not be a good man, but he certainly wasn’t an evil one.

 

Iris was so lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice the door opening until she smacked right into the man leaving the restaurant.

 

“Oh! Oh my god, I am so sorry,” she apologised profusely, feeling guilty at the sight of his takeout meal now decorating the pavement. “Please, let me buy you another one.”

 

“I should hope so.” For a second, she thought she had imagined that voice, since the man had been in her thoughts all evening. But no, that was definitely Leonard Snart, looking rather irritated at having his dinner knocked from his hands. Her brain stuttered in shock, which was her only excuse for the words she blurted out.

 

“I wanted to talk to you.” Honest surprised coloured his face before his familiar smug mask was in place.

 

“You know, there are easier ways to get my attention.” She flushed, crossing her arms defensively.

 

“That was an accident. I was going to email you later.”

 

“Oh, are we back to that?” He sounded unconvinced. “As much as I enjoyed our little heart-to-heart over coffee, I got the distinct impression that Leo Wynters was dead to you. Figured you’d be giving me the cold shoulder.” She gave him an unimpressed look.

 

“Then it’s a good thing I wanted to talk to Leonard Snart.” He cocked an eyebrow, intrigued. “I have some questions for you.”

 

“And since that went so well last time, what makes you think I’ll indulge you?” She matched his smirk.

 

“Because I’m buying you dinner. It’d be rude to just ignore me.” He huffed and shook his head at her audacity, still smirking.

 

“Well, I do have a reputation to uphold.” He held the door open for her, the picture of chivalry. “Can’t have the other diners thinking I’m a rude date.” She scowled as she pushed past him.

 

“This is not a date.”

 

“Says the woman buying me dinner. But you’re right. I’d never bring a date here.” Iris felt mildly affronted on behalf of the establishment. It wasn’t fancy, but she’d been here for lunch before and it was far from bad.

 

“What’s wrong with this place?” she asked as they were seated.

 

“Nothing.” He seemed surprised by the question. “The food’s good and the service above par. It’s just a little, hmmm, humble for a date, wouldn’t you say?”

 

“Not at all. It’s quiet and homey, which is good if you want to make conversation. More intimate.” She immediately regretted her choice of words. He was clearly basking in her discomfort, so she barrelled on. “And the portions are actually a decent size for what you’re paying.”

 

“I take you’re not a ‘just a salad’ kind of girl?”

 

“Hell no. Food is for enjoyment just as much as sustenance.” The phrase was rehearsed, an automatic sentiment that she’d expressed many times before, but it made him smile in amusement. His smile was surprisingly different from his smirk, far more pleasant.

 

“I certainly wish the Department of Corrections felt that way.” Their waitress arrived before she could answer, and they ordered quickly, both familiar with the menu. Once the waitress had left, Cold leant back in his chair, studying her openly. She met his gaze, stoic and unintimidated. He saw more than most, he’d proved that at their last meeting, but she had no interest in hiding from him.

 

“All right then, Miss West,” he drawled eventually. “I’ll bite. What exactly did you want to talk to me about?”

 

“Organised crime in Central City.” His nose scrunched up adorably for half a second as he pretended to think it over. Iris tamped down on that line of thought. Supervillains were not adorable or cute. Not even when holding silly christmas mugs, despite what her brain had to say.

 

“That’s a pretty broad topic. You may want to narrow it down, unless you want to be here all night?” She snorted.

 

“I don’t think so. You may like the sound of your voice that much, but I have more important things to do than listen to you monologue.” She paused as the waitress dropped off their drinks. “Specifically, I thought you might have something to say about the unusual drop in organised crime the CCPD has reported.”

 

“Kudos to them.” He oozed condescension as he sipped his drink. “Or has Scarlet branched out into icing mafia stooges now?”

 

“You and I both know that’s not the case,” Iris retorted, unimpressed by his games. “Rumour has it, there’s a new godfather in town.” He made a coughing noise in his throat, as though he’d choked on his drink and didn’t want it to show.

 

“And his name is Cold,” he added, looking like he was immensely enjoying some great joke she wasn’t privy to.

 

“So you don’t deny it?” He shrugged, amused eyes turning calculating.

 

“That depends. Are we on the record?” She narrowed her eyes at him, worrying her lip as she picked her words. Something in his face tightened and they stared at each other in a tense silence.

 

“I get the feeling,” she answered finally, words chosen cautiously. “That the only way any of this is getting on the record, is if there’s something in it for you.” His smug smirk returned.

 

“Very good, Miss West.” His tone was almost proud. Their food arrived, and they both thanked the server before digging in. It was just as good as Iris remembered, which was great since she hadn’t actually eaten since midday. Once the edge was off her hunger, she looked up, feeling Cold’s eyes on her. She caught a somber, almost wistful expression before his enigmatic mask was back in place. It was incredibly frustrating how he insisted on keeping up his infuriating persona, smothering every glimpse she got of the man beneath. It made her want to hit him again. She put her knife and fork down and he cocked an eyebrow.

 

“What’s the matter? Food not to your liking?” He ended his sentence with a mouthful, somehow making the act of eating look like a challenge.

 

“No, actually, it’s delicious. But we were having a conversation and I’d rather not get side-tracked.”

 

“Still all business. And here I thought you were just starting to chill out and enjoy the atmosphere you were so praising earlier.”

 

“I’m persistent. It’s in my job description.”

 

“Tenacity is all well and good until it gets you killed.” He gestured vaguely with his knife as he spoke, making the statement even more threatening than it sounded. She bristled and apparently he noticed. “Chill, Iris. Just some friendly advice to live by.”

 

“You say that like you actually care what happens to me.” He huffed a laugh, that strangely proud look on his face again.

 

“If nothing else, Scarlet won’t be nearly as much fun to play with if he’s moping over you getting yourself killed.” She rolled her eyes.

 

“Can’t let my death get in the way of your entertainment, now can we?” she deadpanned. “So, I’m assuming you’d rather I keep it quiet that Captain Cold has Central’s underbelly on a short leash?” He tilted his head in acquiescence.

 

“That would be preferable.” She worried her lip again, trying to decide how far she could push.

 

“Even if a lot of people would be happy to hear some of the things you’ve done?” He looked incredulous.

 

“Oh really?” he drawled. “I can’t imagine who you can think of that would be happy to hear I’ve made sure that I’m Central’s one and only big fish.” She decided to take a leap.

 

“Well, I know Barry will be ecstatic when he finds out you drove away every big mob family in town. Or how you single-handedly put a stop to human trafficking in this city.” Leonard groaned theatrically.

 

“Fuck. He is going to be insufferable, isn't he?” He actually pouted. “I don’t suppose I can pay you not to tell him any of this?” She simply cocked one perfect eyebrow in response, making him sigh. “I suppose it was too much to hope for.” His gaze turned contemplative. “Although, I must say, your sources are terribly well-informed.”

 

“And confidential.” Another sigh.

 

“Of course they are.” He put his own knife and fork down. “So all I’m hearing is that I don’t share my toys and there are some lines even I won’t cross. Hardly newsworthy.”

 

“Not crossing a line is very different from actively stopping others from crossing that line.”

 

“Why do I feel like I’m being judged for having a shred of human decency? I don’t care what you or Barry think, nobody deserves what was happening to this people, I wasn’t just going to let it happen in my city.” It was odd to hear him sounding so petulant and defensive.

 

“Calm down, Leonard, I’m not judging. Far from it. I just want to understand.”

 

“Oh really?” he mocked, “Have you decided you want to ‘know’ Captain Cold after all? I’m afraid you’ll be pretty disappointed.”

 

“Nah, that guy’s not worth my time.” She looked him dead in the eye, so there was no mistaking her intent. “Leonard Snart, though? Him I’d like to know.” It was true. The more she learned about him, the more fascinated she became. She was definitely starting to understand why Barry talked about him the way he did.

 

Leonard looked completely at a loss, another rare glimpse of his true emotions. He clearly hadn’t expected her honest sentiment.

 

“Len,” he stated finally. She frowned, misunderstanding.

 

“What?”

 

“The first thing you should know. I prefer Len.” He was looking at her like she was a puzzle he couldn’t figure out.

 

“What, you don’t like Leonard?” she teased.

 

“Does Barry like Bartholomew?” he drawled, finally seeming to gather himself. “We can’t all be blessed with beautiful names, Iris.” She felt her cheeks heat a little at the vague compliment. She shoved a forkful of food in her mouth as a diversionary tactic, hoping the light blush wasn’t noticeable.

 

“So, was my takeover of Central City all you wanted to ask about?” It was unexpected for him to offer to share. It felt like an olive branch. She thought back to their last meeting, when she realised he’d enjoyed their correspondence just as much as her. Perhaps he missed it as much as she did, too. It occurred to her that the life of a crime boss was likely a very lonely one. Few people probably even realised there was someone else under the persona and it was unlikely any of them had expressed an interest in knowing the man behind the mask. Even though it was probably stupid and dangerous for Iris, she really did want to get to know this enigmatic man, puns and all. Despite Len’s profession, Barry was right when he said there was good in him. If Barry could have a complicated not-friendship with his nemesis, then so could she.

 

“I do have more questions, actually. If you’re willing to indulge me.” He smirked.

 

“Why don’t you try me? As long as you’re willing to play fair. I have a few questions of my own.”

 

“A fair trade then.” On a whim, she held up her glass, glad to see him smile as they toasted.

 

It was strange, sitting together talking over a meal. Their conversation was reminiscent of their correspondence, giving the illusion of conversing with an old friend. Their back and forth was easy, both of them expertly sidestepping sensitive topics. She learned a lot, even when his answers were infuriatingly vague. She took great pleasure in being evasive herself when the need arose, enjoying the way his eyes sparked and his lips twitched when he realised she was avoiding a question, clearly enjoying the challenge. It was easy to forget the reasons she shouldn’t be there, shouldn’t be making friends with this intelligent, eloquent and beautiful man.

 

When their meal was done they ordered dessert, continuing their discussion through a cup of coffee. His comments would occasionally be interwoven with light, subtle compliments. She might have made it clear earlier this wasn’t a date, but she couldn’t help but think that if it had been, it would have been a great one. She was actually a little sad when their night inevitably came to a close.

 

“As much as I’d love to continue this conversation,” he checked his watch, “unfortunately there is somewhere I need to be in the next eleven minutes.” He was honestly apologetic and she smiled, understanding.

 

“You better head off then. I’d hate to be the one to ruin your reputation by making you late.”

 

“I appreciate that.” He stood, hesitating for half a second as though he couldn’t pick his words. She saved him the awkwardness.

 

“You probably won’t be appreciating it when I email you later. I’ve got a fluff piece to write that’s kicking my ass.” He chuckled.

 

“I look forward to tearing it to pieces.” His smile was genuine, which made it breath-taking. “Thank you for dinner, Iris.” Her answering smile was just as sincere.

 

“My pleasure.” He was almost at the door when something occurred to her that she knew he needed to hear.

 

“Hey, Len?” He paused and looked back, his hand on the door. “For what it’s worth, I think I like you better than Leo Wynters.” He huffed in disbelief, but his smile was pleased.

  
“You’d be the first.”


	3. A Frenemy Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len gets an expected visit with surprising results.

Iris West was a singularly unique woman. She was an investigator by profession and by nature, she should have found plenty of evidence by now to convince her he wasn’t worth her time. And yet, still she emailed him, seeking out his help and conversation, offering her own without a second thought. She wasn’t like Barry, with his naive idealism, convinced there was a white knight under his black hat. Instead, she saw him in shades of grey, the lighter shades just neglected in favour of the darker ones. Which wasn’t exactly wrong. In the life he’d led, to appear anything less than utterly ruthless could get you killed. That she could so easily look past his facade was somewhat unnerving, in much the same way as Barry’s unerring faith in him.

 

That she accepted what she saw in him was what really threw him. Only three people had ever accepted him for who he truly was, and since two of them were family and the other was psychotic, they didn’t really count. More than that, Iris seemed to genuinely  _ like  _ him. It had been a very long time since he’d made a real friend (again, psychotic pyros didn’t really count), that he’d forgotten what it felt like. But that was what Iris had become, despite all odds. It was an insane risk for both of them, yet neither had shied away, diving in headlong like fools. He had no doubt this would end in tears and her slapping him again, and that was if they were lucky.

 

It didn’t help that she was beautiful, intelligent and stubborn, a combination he’d never been able to resist. That was another thing she shared with her foster-brother. Len resolved to never be alone in a room with those two ever. Between Barry’s soulful eyes and the sinful way Iris bit her lip when she deliberated, he was bound to lose control and do something stupid. 

 

_ Speak of the devil _ , Len thought as Barry Allen strolled into Saints & Sinners. He had terrible timing and Len was now forced to actually pay attention to the fool he was currently meeting with.

 

“Mr Benson, why don’t we dispense with the empty flattery and half-lies and get to the point, hmm?” Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Barry loitering by the bar, doing a terrible job of pretending not to watch them. Len gave the barest shake of his head, knowing Barry was observant enough to catch the subtle gesture. He seemed mildly annoyed, but prepared to wait, somewhat audacious since he was the one interrupting a business meeting. “You heard the rumours and wanted to see if it was true and what you could get away with. The truth is, as long as everybody plays by the rules, I couldn’t give less of a shit what you do. You want to use Central as a stopover for your product? Great, I can even recommend some cheap, discrete real estate. You want to set up shop? Then we have a problem.” The fool smiled jovially, but Len could see he was all teeth.

 

“Then I’m glad we understand each other. Those real estate recommendations?” Len matched his grin with an equally duplicitous one and jotted an address on his napkin.

 

“Enjoy your stay,” he drawled, handing it over. The fool nodded and left. Thankfully Barry waited for him to be out the door before sliding into Len’s booth. At least he made for a much better view.

 

“What was that?” Barry asked, since apparently he had never been blessed with a filter.

 

“Business meeting.” Len mentally prepared himself for the inevitable. In truth, he’d been expecting a visit ever since his evening with Iris. No doubt the kid was about to start gushing about his nonexistent virtue. “Welcome to my office, Scarlet. To what do I owe this dubious pleasure?” Barry chuckled, giving him that infuriating soft smile that made him want what he couldn’t have.

 

“You can relax, Snart. I’m not here to preach.” That was a surprise. And highly unlikely.

 

“I find that hard to believe. I know you’re not here for the crappy beer and clientele.” 

 

“Actually, I’m here to ask for your help.” Here we go. “Don’t look at me like that, I’m not asking you to jump in front of a bullet. All I’m asking for is some information.”

 

“You say that like it’s nothing. To the right people, the right information might as well be currency.” The kid finally attempted to look serious and businesslike. That was less fun, but it did mean that Barry understood what he was asking. 

 

“I know that. I’m also not stupid enough to think you’ll do anything for free. What’s your price?” Len smirked, always happy when someone was willing to play by the rules. 

 

“Always in such a rush, Scarlet. I can’t accurately gauge a price unless I know what kind of info you’re looking for. But don’t worry, I’m aware of your price range. I’m sure we can work something out.” Barry nodded grimly, as though he expected nothing less.

 

“What do you know about Mark Chillblaine?” Len’s entire mood soured at the sound of that name. It would seem that an old irritant was about bite him in the ass.

 

“I know he should be in a wheelchair,” he answered candidly, his distaste clear. “The last time I saw him, Mick was dangling him over the side of a building.”

 

“Why?” Barry seemed shocked, which probably said something about how used Len was to Mick’s behaviour. 

 

“You of all people should know how I handle those who break my sister’s heart.”

 

“You had him killed for breaking up with Lisa?” Barry somehow managed to shriek in a hush.  


 

“No.” Len rolled his eyes at the histrionics. “I had him maimed for cheating on her, repeatedly. I’m not psychotic, Barry.” No, that was what Mick was for, but Barry didn’t need to know that. “Although this begs the question, what does he have to do with anything? And what exactly do you think I can tell you that the CCPD can’t?”

 

“His DNA was found at the sight of a robbery and two murders this week, only he died of blood poisoning two years ago.”  Len frowned.

 

“How is that even possible?”

 

“Considering how the people died, we’re pretty sure he’s a metahuman, which makes it likely he’s from Earth-2 and therefore sent to kill me.” Len blinked, his mind frantically turning that information over. There were far too many unknowns for his liking.

 

“I think we’re reading from different pages here, Kid.” Barry looked sheepish, which made Len feel only mildly better about his ignorance.

 

“Right, I forgot you don’t know about that. Well, it started with the singularity last year.” Barry went on to explain about an alternate Earth and the homicidal speedster out for his blood. With that information, recent events made a lot more sense. But it didn’t explain everything.

 

“So, if you think this Chillblaine is from this Earth-2, what made you think that I’d know anything useful?”

 

“Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that understanding these metahumans is usually the key to taking them down. And from what I’ve seen, at their core, the doppelgangers are inherently the same as their counterparts. I was hoping you’d be able to give me some insight, maybe know where I might find him.”

 

“So you came all the way here on a hope and a slim one at that. Scarlet, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you missed me.” Barry snorted.

 

“Yeah, who else is gonna assault me with puns and sarcasm?” Len grinned with pride. “Although, it’s kind of nice to have conversation we’ve had where you haven’t threatened me.” Len hadn’t even noticed, too preoccupied by Barry and the information he provided to put that much effort into his persona. He resolutely ignored the fact that Barry admitted he enjoyed talking with him. The line they walked as enemies was already a narrow and strange one.

 

“It’s still early. We haven’t even gotten to the negotiations yet.” Barry sighed.

 

“All right. Tell me something I don’t know about Chillblaine and we’ll figure out how to square it.” Len pretended to think about it for a second, already well aware of what he was going to say and what he was going to get.

 

“You’ll find him in a butcher shop.” Barry’s face scrunched up adorably in confusion.

 

“A butcher shop?” he asked dubiously.  


 

“The Chillblaine I knew was a butcher’s son. He used to launder his money through his father’s place and it’s where he’s most comfortable. It’s where he’ll hide, if he really is like his counterpart.” Barry sighed.

 

“Well, at least that narrows it down.” He narrowed his eyes at Len, probably attempting to be shrewd. “All right, Snart. What’s that worth to you?” Len wrinkled his nose. He hated it when people called him by his last name, it was one of the reasons he had embraced Cisco’s moniker.

 

“A favour. You’ll like it too.” Barry looked sceptical.

 

“I doubt it.” Len gave a put-upon sigh. He scribbled an address onto a napkin. “A certain element has been making moves on Central that are... bad for business. Right now, their just an irritant, but I don’t intend to let them become a problem. Unfortunately, it’s in my interest to appear uninvolved. So here,” he slid the napkin across the table. “Is the address where those elements will just so happen to be transporting a truly breath-taking amount of narcotics this very evening. Either the Flash or Central’s finest can make an appearance, I really don’t care.” Barry still looked sceptical.

 

“Your price is a drug bust?” Len shrugged.

 

“My price is for you to take out the competition for me. Figured you wouldn’t mind icing two birds with one stone. And I’m feeling generous since you so graciously decided to skip the usual sermon.”

 

“It’s still early.” Barry quipped.

 

“Save it til you get some new material, Kid.” 

 

“I’m sure I’ll find some eventually.” His grin faded a little, leaving him looking hesitant. “I, uh,  forgot to mention earlier; Chillblaine, his powers are cold-based. I managed to prove that your cold gun wasn’t the cause, but, well, I know some of the guys at the precinct were still sceptical, so...you might wanna lay low, for a while?” Len’s eyebrows were kissing his hairline. Was Barry actually concerned about him getting caught?

 

“Thanks for the tip Scarlet, but I think I can handle a few beat cops.”

 

“I know that. I’d just hate it if you put some good cops just doing their jobs into the hospital over something you didn’t even do.” His phone beeped insistently, halting Len’s response. “Crap, its Cisco. I gotta go.”

  
“Run along then. Can’t have the your enemies thinking you’re playing favourites, now can we?” He threw him a wink. “Pleasure doing business with you.” Barry made himself scarse, leaving Len to sit and ponder just what kind of game Iris was playing.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chillblaine's identity was never revealed in the comics, so I made it his last name. 
> 
> Also the Legends of Tomorrow pilot really needed to be a two-part premiere. Mostly because I NEED MORE!


	4. Dance Partners in Crime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris is in a little deeper than she thought

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I got Linda right, she was difficult to get a feel for.

Linda ambushed Iris the next day at work with a bear hug.

 

“I’m so proud of you!” she crowed at a very confused Iris. “I know how hard it’s been for you since Eddie and even though you are the strongest person I know, deciding to start dating again is a huge step! I am so proud of you for getting back out there, you deserve someone who will make you happy. Did it go well? It looked like it was going well.” Iris blinked stupidly at her.

 

“I...what?” she finally managed.

 

“Oh, sorry. I saw you on your date last night. I would have stopped and said hi, but I didn’t want to interrupt. And damn, how is it you always find the pretty ones first?” Linda managed to look both impressed and irked.

 

“Pretty…? Oh. Oh! That was not a date. Soooo not a date!” Linda scrutinised her for a second and then grinned like a shark scenting blood.

 

“Oh really?” she drawled, trailing Iris to her desk. “Because that blush says otherwise.”

 

“I’m not….he’s...it wasn’t like that. It was a misunderstanding.” Linda looked dubious.

 

“The kind of misunderstanding that leads to a romantic dinner with a gorgeous guy? I wish my misunderstandings ended that way.” Iris huffed.

 

“It was just dinner, it wasn’t romantic.” Except for every subtle compliment and the way his attention never left her. “Did it...look romantic?”

 

“There’s a reason I assumed it was a date, Iris. This wouldn’t happen to be the same mystery man your barista buddy Avi told me he saw you getting coffee with, would it?

 

“Ugh, I so regret introducing you two,” Iris groaned as she flopped down into her desk chair.

 

“Because Avi said he had the prettiest eyes he’d ever seen, and the guy last night definitely had pretty eyes…”

 

“Ok, yes, he has gorgeous eyes and a hypnotic voice but that doesn’t mean it was a date.”

 

“And the coffee?”

 

“Not a date.” Linda leaned against her desk and looked down at her sympathetically.

 

“Well, it kinda sounds like you wish they were. You are a beautiful, intelligent and badass lady in the prime of your life. I’m a little insulted on your behalf that they weren’t dates.” She thought for a moment. “Unless there’s a reason you don’t want to date him?” Iris scoffed, ignoring the voice in her head asking very similar questions.

 

“Mostly the fact that I grew out of my badboy phase at the same time Barry did.”

 

“Barry had a badboy phase?”

 

“Yeah, it was kinda funny. We were both crushing on the same guy, and then the idiot tried to go behind our backs and date us both.”

 

“Ouch.”

 

“Yep. Still not as bad as Becky Cooper.”

* * *

 

Running into Leonard Snart was becoming something of a habit for Iris. Although bumping into him at the mayor’s charity gala was one of the last places she expected to see him. But that was definitely him, looking like a dream in a perfectly tailored suit. The woman he was speaking with, a wealthy elderly philanthropist Iris knew from similar events, spotted her approach first. 

 

“Ah, Miss West! How nice to see you dear, and looking as radiant as ever. Doesn’t she look stunning, Dr Wynters?” Len smiled at the old woman indulgently. 

 

“Absolutely, though I've never known Iris to be anything less than impeccable.” He turned to her, smile turning to a smirk at the sight of her blush. “Lovely to see you again, Iris.” It was very clear he was playing a role tonight, apparently Leo Wynters was more than just the name he’d used in his emails.

 

“Oh, uh, thank you,” she managed, at something of a loss at how to react. Len’s companion looked between them in surprise.

 

“You two have met?” she asked, looking intrigued. Len gave her an indulgent smile, his portrayal seamless.  

 

“Once or twice. She’s the close friend of a work associate.” A distinctive gleam entered her eyes, the kind all grandmothers get when they sense a matchmaking opportunity.

 

“Oh I see, how wonderful. Then you must know that Leo here is the best antiques dealer in the city. If there is something I want, he’s the first call I make. He’s quite the catch, I can’t understand why he’s single.” 

 

“I’m sure he’ll be snapped up in no time,” Iris said, trying not to laugh at Len’s affronted look.

 

“Yes, he just needs the right girl to see his charms. I’m going to get more champagne, I’ll leave the two of you to get reacquainted.” With that, she tottered off, leaving the mortified pair in her wake.

 

“She’s certainly not subtle.” Len stated after the chagrin faded. Iris just shook her head in bemused.

 

“She reminds me of my grandmother. And Linda.” Len raised his eyebrow at that, but she ignored it to fix him with an unimpressed look. “Seriously? Doctor?”

 

“Is what they call you when you have a PhD in Art History.” He glanced around, gaze falling on the band playing softly and the people shuffling elegantly on the dance floor. He took a step and held his hand out theatrically. “Care to join me in a dance, Miss West?” The look she gave him was dubious, giving the offer was entirely unexpected. But she supposed he was playing a character tonight and it honestly felt good to be asked to dance. She delicately placed her hand in his, unprepared for the warmth of it. Irrationally, she’d assumed his hands would be cold.

 

“All right. Lead the way.” He seemed pleased that she had accepted and strode purposefully towards the dancefloor. Once there, he easily pulled her close, her free hand falling automatically to his shoulder. The band was playing a soft classical piece, and she found herself being led through a slow, basic box step.

 

“I apologize.” He seemed sincere, his handsome face close enough for her to see the tiny lines at the corners of his eyes. “This is the safest place to talk privately without drawing attention.” She chuckled when she realised what he was sorry for.

 

“Word of advice, Len? Never apologise to a girl for asking her to dance.” He smiled with a huff. 

 

“Fair enough. I’ll remember that next time.”

 

“Next time? Confident you’ll get another dance?” His smile was somewhat self-deprecating now, and she regretted the lighthearted tease.

 

“A man can dream.” His voice was light, also teasing, but Iris could still hear the barest hint of wistfulness. She changed the subject.

 

“What are you doing here, Len? I wouldn’t have thought this was really your scene.”

 

“Ninety percent of the money in this town is currently slurping back champagne and ridiculous hor’dourves under this roof. Why wouldn’t I be here?” Her grip on his hand and shoulder tightened unconsciously.

 

“Are you seriously here to rob people?” she whispered harshly. He looked down at her condescendingly.

 

“You’ll find there is a lot more to being a thief than the actual thieving. If you’re a good one anyway. I came here to negotiate a sale.”

 

“You did that  _ here _ ?” He snorted, finding her incredulity amusing.

 

“I can guarantee you that any gathering like this has at least a dozen dirty deals going on in back rooms and dark corners. Being wealthy does not make these people honest.”

 

“But this is a charity event.”

 

“And I’m sure some of the money changing hands tonight will even go towards the cause.”

 

“How did you even get an invitation? I only got one because I’m technically here to work.” He tilted his head in a shrug. 

 

“I came as dear Miriam’s plus one. She did insist we negotiate here and she loves the scandal of arriving with someone half her age on her arm.”

 

“Wait, old Mrs van der Coot, the sweet old lady telling me what a catch you are, is your client?”

 

“Of course. I’ve been selling to her for years. She has quite the eye for the finer things.”

 

“Does she know how you get them?” His patronising look was all the answer she needed. “No, you’re right, why the hell would you answer that. Sorry.”

 

“It’s fine. It’s in your nature to dig.” He looked pensive for a moment, subconsciously wetting his lips. The act made Iris very aware of how close their bodies were and the warmth of the hand resting on her lower back. 

 

“You surprise me, Iris.” He startled her out of her wayward thoughts.

 

“That sounds like a compliment.”

 

“It is. I make a point of not being surprised often.”

 

“I can imagine. Although I can’t really think of anything I’ve done that’s so surprising.”

 

“I received a visit the other day from our resident speedster. There was a distinct lack of gloating.” He was giving her that look again, like she was a particularly intricate puzzle. “You didn’t tell him. About any of it.” 

 

“Why would I? It wasn’t relevant to anything and you clearly didn’t want me to.”

 

“For most people that would be reason enough.” She huffed and rolled her eyes.

 

“You know, not everybody is out to get you.” He scoffed.

 

“Experience says otherwise.”

 

“Maybe you just haven’t met the right people,” she suggested with a sly smirk.

 

“I don’t run with the nicest of crowds.”

 

“My crowd’s pretty nice. Maybe you should try running with us.” She didn’t know what made her suggest that, but it felt perfectly natural to offer him a place in her circle. She realised she wanted him to know there was a place where he could feel safe, and just be Leonard Snart, not hiding behind a persona. He simply laughed, clearly not thinking she was serious.

 

“Somehow, I think your ‘crowd’ might have something to say about that. It’s a nice thought though.” She met his gaze, wondering how she might make him understand that it wasn’t just a wayward thought, but a true offer. She felt her expression soften. She knew his history and she could see his defense mechanisms for what they were. He kept the whole world at arms length, with the sole exception of his sister. It saddened her that he refused to let anyone get close, never trusting enough to let his guard down. She wanted to show him what it meant to feel safe, but had no idea how to go about it. He might not deserve it, but she wanted to give him that anyway, as irrational as it was. 

 

His breathing hitched almost imperceptibly and she realised she’d been just staring into his eyes for a while now. She could hardly be blamed, they really were captivating, but this was dangerous. Her conversation with Linda sprang to mind. There were so many good reasons why she should not be doing this, the fact that Len was definitely a badboy being the least of them. She couldn’t help but be drawn to him, wanting to understand this complicated man, but in this moment she could feel that she was very close to crossing one hell of a line. It was one thing to build a tenuous friendship, it was another entirely to dance together under the soft light of a crystal chandelier and seriously consider kissing those teasingly close lips.

 

She dropped her gaze, fixing her eyes firmly over his shoulder, reusing to check if he was disappointed or not. Behind him, she could see old Miriam van der Coot positively beaming at them.

 

“I think your date is getting jealous,” she said, trying for teasing and knowing she fell short. 

 

“I suppose I should do my duty and keep her entertained.” His tone drifted towards regretful. He stepped back, keeping her hand in his. “Thanks for the dance,” he intoned softly. Gently but deliberately, he looked her in the eye and raised her hand to his lips to press the barest kiss to her knuckles. Her lips parted in surprise and she found herself at a loss. He gave her that sad, self-deprecating smile as he let her hand fall. 

  
“I...my pleasure,” she managed to murmur. He inclined his head to her and left the dancefloor. She watched him go for a moment, mourning the loss of his presence before gathering herself and going in search of a quiet corner to think in. She caught a glimpse of Len talking to Miriam, his smile a little tight and forced, apparently making his excuses as that was the last she saw of him all night. She told herself this was a good thing. It gave her a chance to figure out what the hell just happened.


	5. Pool of Peers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So much for a quiet night of contemplation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fucking finally finished this chapter. I had one already done, finished and ready to post, and then I realised...it didn't make sense. It was way too soon for any of it to be happening. So I semi-scrapped it. Hopefully this fits better.

If asked, Len would vehemently deny he was moping. Lisa had been on his case for days now, demanding to know why his mood was so sour. He’d taken to avoiding her, which was exactly why he was now standing in a bar that was not the safe and familiar comfort of Saints & Sinners. At least the beer wasn’t bad and they didn’t seem to mind that Mick set fire to all his drinks, regardless of content.

 

It was his own fault, really. His mind had been running in constant circles, trying to figure out what she’d been thinking. Or hell, what he’d been thinking. He blamed getting caught up in the moment, temporary insanity brought on by the sight of her in that incredible gold dress, the ethereal shimmer where it cradled her curves had been sinfully distracting. It had been foolish and rash to give in to the whim to dance with her. He should have known he’d be the one to break their tenuous and unorthodox friendship. But the novel sensation of someone being so comfortable in his presence had been heady, the way they fit and moved together as intoxicating as the champagne. He doubted she’d ever let him touch her again, unless is was a side effect of her slapping him again.

 

So maybe he’d been moping. This was why he went out of his way to avoid personal attachments, they always ended messy. It had taken Mick literally dragging him out of the house to get him here. The amount of concern that showed from Mick was both touching and bruising and he’s given up protesting. At least beer and pool with Mick was a distraction. If he was keeping an eye on the pyro, he wasn’t agonising over whether or not to email Iris.

 

Mick missed his shot with a muttered swear, grumbling into his beer as he traded places with Len. Mick wasn’t bad at pool, but he was nowhere near as good as Len, and his willingness to play him at all said something about his concern. Then again, Len had a sneaking suspicion that Lisa had put him up to this.

 

“So, you gonna talk about it or are you just gonna stew like always?” Ah, there it was. At least he could always count on Mick not to beat around the bush. 

 

“Careful, Mick, or I might start thinking you actually care,”he deflected as he lined up his shot. Mick snorted into his beer.

 

“I care when your heads not in the game. I don’t get paid when you’re too busy wallowing to plan a decent score.”

 

“I’m not wallowing,” Len denied with a scowl.

 

“Uh huh. Guy or girl this time?” His expression went from mildly annoyed to contemplative. “I could burn their ass off if it’ll help.” Len snorted.

 

“That’s sweet, Mick, but I’ll pass. It’s not like that.” Len managed to sink his shot by the skin of his teeth, distracted by the sudden knowing look Mick had gotten.

 

“So you  _ are _ hung up on somebody?”

 

“Just drop it.”

 

“I’ll drop it when you start being fun again.”

 

“You mean when Lisa stops bugging you.” 

 

“That too,” Mick admitted easily with a shrug. Len sighed, leaning far over the table for his next shot and trying to figure out how to escape of this conversation without earning a burn scar. Behind him, he heard the sound of feminine laughter coming entering the bar. 

 

“....-odox for a girl’s night?” an oddly familiar voice was saying. Len frowned, trying to place it.

 

“Are you kidding? No girl’s night is complete without a little friendly competition,” another voice insisted.

 

“You brought this on yourself. Never question Linda’s mad pool skills.” Len froze. That voice was inescapably identifiable. Thankfully, Mick didn’t see the way his eyes widened, too busy focusing on the new arrivals.

 

“Well I’ll be damned. If it isn’t the Flash’s feisty little Snowball,” the arsonist rumbled softly. Len fixed him with a judging eyebrow. 

 

“Really, Mick? You do recall the last time you met you were kidnapping her.” His partner just shrugged.

 

“So? Angry sex is still good.” He grinned. “The uptight ones have the most anger to work out.”

 

“So recommend a good therapist. Don’t go causing trouble where there doesn’t need to be any.”

 

“Ah, there’s the cold, snippy bastard we’ve been missing!” The pyro crowed happily. Len ignored him with a scowl and went to take his shot.

 

“Len?” The voice startled him and he completely missed his shot, only narrowly avoiding tearing the felt. He sighed deeply, straightened and turned, leaning nonchalantly on his cue. 

 

“Iris,” he replied smoothly in kind. She looked lovely as usual, her cheeks slightly flushed from drinking. Her group had been to the bar and were apparently just getting set up at a nearby table when she recognised him. She was smiling that full, alluring smile of hers like she was genuinely happy to see him. 

 

“What are you doing here?” He cocked an eyebrow at the silly question and looked pointedly at his pool cue. Before he could speak, Caitlin interrupted.

 

“Wait, Iris, how do you even know-Wait, Len? What, how, since when are you on friendly nickname terms with _Leonard_ _Snart_?!” Behind Caitlin, an unknown brunette was grinning triumphantly.

 

“Oh, they’ve known each other a while,” she drawled, blatantly raking her eyes up and down Len. “It’ll be nice to be able to refer to you as something other than ‘Hot Mystery Man’.” Len’s eyebrows shot up and he looked to Iris for an explanation. She didn’t notice, having gone from being a deer in the headlights before Caitlin to premeditating murder at her brunette friend. Caitlin squeaked.

 

“Hot Mystery Man is Leonard Snart?!” she shrieked, positively scandalised. Behind him, Len could hear Mick choking on his laughter. He schooled his expression to one of mild annoyance, determined to put the brakes on this train wreck.

 

“As flattering as this is, would somebody please explain what the hell you are talking about?” Iris groaned into her hands, muttering darkly.

 

“Oh my god, you two are the worst.” She gave Len an apologetic look. “Len, this is my friend from work, Linda. She has a tendency to get her wires crossed and funny ideas in her head.” The last part was said pointedly at the brunette, who scoffed, unrepentant. 

 

“Funny ideas, my ass. Girl, you were one candle away from a cliche.” That didn’t make much sense, but he doubted he’d be getting a more coherent explanation. Iris rolled her eyes.

 

“Ugh, I need better friends.” Len looked back at Mick, whose shoulders were still shaking from his gleeful chortles.

 

“Nice to know I’m not the only one.”

 

“Like anyone else would put up with you,” Mick scoffed. To everyone’s surprise, Caitlin immediately stopped freaking out about Iris knowing Len to pin Heatwave with her gaze.

 

“You…” she hissed. She stumbled past Len to stand in front of Mick, jabbing his chest with a sharp fingernail. “Have you treated those goddamn burns yet?” Mick looked taken aback, but rolled with it.

 

“And why would I do that?” Caitlin proceeded to go into a tirade about the dangers of leaving serious burns untreated. Mick clearly hadn’t realised what he’d set himself up for.

 

“How much has she had to drink?” Len asked curiously. Not a lot of people had the courage to dress down Mick like he was a misbehaving child. Iris chuckled.

 

“Not that much, but she’s a lightweight.” She looked around. “Sorry about interrupting your game.” He shrugged. Pool wasn’t as much fun when he knew for sure he was going to win. 

 

“It’s fine. Mick didn’t stand a chance anyway.”

 

“Oh really?” Iris drawled, leaning back against the table. “Pretty confident there, Len, but I don’t think we can just take your word for it.” Len hoped it wasn’t wishful thinking that made her sound so flirtatious. He looked at her, feeling like himself for the first time in days, a genuine self-satisfied smirk feeling like home on his face. 

 

“Are you challenging me, Miss West?” 

 

“Personally? No. But I bet Linda’s up to the challenge.” 

 

“How about,” Linda chimed in, “we make it fair. Iris and Len versus me and Caitlin.” She cocked an eyebrow at them. Len decidedly disliked how entertained she seemed to be by his very presence. Iris just laughed.

 

“Come on, Linda, that’s an unfair handicap and you know it.” 

 

“What, you don’t think we could take them?” he asked, feeling the draw of a good challenge. She rolled her eyes, but took the pool cue he offered.

 

“Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. I’m better with a pistol than a pool cue.” The mental image of Iris brandishing a gun should not have been as tantalising as it was. “Hey Caitlin,” she called, interrupting the redhead’s diatribe. “You’re breaking.”

 

“Don’t think this is over,” Caitlin hissed at Mick before grabbing a cue. Mick just looked amused and pleasantly surprised by her antics.

 

Caitlin’s pool skills were about on par with Mick’s. Linda was very skilled, easily giving Len a run for his money. Iris was absolutely abysmal. By the time her second turn came around, Len couldn’t keep himself from stepping in, if only to show her how to hold the damn cue properly. She listened attentively, apparently never having been shown the basics before. Len pointedly ignored the snickers from Mick and Linda and the mildly disapproving looks from Caitlin. Len didn’t care since Iris noticeably improved over the course of the evening, even if she only went from horrible to bad. 

 

They lost the first game, despite Len’s best efforts. Linda decided to challenge Mick, since he wasn’t the only one left out of the last game. Len offered to coach Iris against Caitlin, and the four of them ended up cycling through several games, most of which Linda won. It was surreal, something that from the outside would have just been seen as a quiet night out with friends. The more time passed (and the more they drank), the easier conversation flowed, the tension from earlier was replaced with friendly camaraderie. 

 

It was also refreshing to see Iris relaxed and having fun with her friends. He’d never heard her laugh so much and he found he liked the sound. He started getting wistful for possibilities beyond his reach again, but he couldn’t seem to help it around Iris. It was so easy, spending an evening under the light of her smile and attentive eyes, to forget why he shouldn’t let her get any closer. To forget that she was the law-abiding daughter of a cop and he was a wanted criminal who regularly fought with her best friend. Both she and Barry had a knack for making him feel like he could be more than he was. And Barry just added a whole new a complication to the mess they were falling into. However, he couldn’t ignore that a small part of him hoped, looked forward to the mess if only for a chance to savour what he could before it all fell apart. He had never claimed not to be a selfish man, but right now that selfishness was warring with his sense of self-preservation. This wouldn’t end well.

 

But the feel of her skin as he adjusted her hand beneath the cue was intoxicating, and he let himself forget, just for one night. Just one night where he let himself be close to this incredible woman without letting the possible consequences hang over him.

 

“Is he doing what I think he’s doing?” Iris asked at one point later in the evening, looking bemused at the sight of Caitlin having an animated discussion with Mick about exothermic chemical reactions. Len snorted into his beer bottle.

 

“Right now I’m pretty sure he’s trying to convince her to help him make a multi-coloured fire tornado.”

 

“That’s good. For a minute there, I thought he was flirting.” Now Len laughed outright.

 

“Oh, he is. If he pulls out a lighter, he’s moved on to foreplay.” Linda joined them leaning back against the pool table.

 

“Cover my eyes if he pulls out a lighter, got it,” she said. “Next round is you, Iris.” Iris huffed, but headed to the bar to get them drinks anyway. At the table, Linda side-eyed Len.

 

“So you’re Hot Mystery Man.” The way she said it was almost like an accusation. Len rolled his eyes.

 

“Where did that ridiculous name even come from?” Linda smirked at him.

 

“I’ve been bugging Iris to tell me who you are since I saw you two having dinner. She was being stubborn, so I had to call you  _ something. _ I totally get now why she laughed the first time I called you that.”

 

“I suppose I should be flattered.” He drawled dryly. Linda scoffed and leaned close, her face stern.

 

“Look, dude, I don’t know you, but I know Iris. Whatever weird, pseudo-relationship you two have going on, she’s already invested. So you damn well better be as well, because if I find out this was all just you messing with her, I will make damn sure there is nowhere on the planet for you to hide.” She was hissing at him by the end of her tirade. Len kept his expression, although he find her efforts at intimidation endearing. 

 

“Noted,” he drawled. Linda leaned back, apparently satisfied.

  
“I have no idea what she sees in you.” Personally, Len wondered that himself. 


	6. Breakfast Sin Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of their night out, Iris has a lot to answer for

Iris woke to the soothing sound of deep, even breathing, her head pillowed on a firm chest that rose and fell gently. For a moment, her half-conscious mind conjured Eddie, the pair the waking snuggled together in bed, like they used to. But her clenching heart knew that Eddie was gone. She wasn’t in bed, but lying a little awkwardly on a couch and that was most definitely not Eddie next to her.

  


Fighting the dull ache in her brain, she willed her eyes to blink open. Taking a few seconds to acclimate to the harsh light of day, Iris was finally able to get her bearings. She was in her apartment, thankfully. The tv was on, the blu-ray menu for the Book of Life on display. She remembered now, she’d put the movie on because...because Len had said he’d never seen it. Sure enough, the barest twist of her neck brought Len’s sleeping face into view. He’d walked her home the night before, and she had insisted he absolutely had to come in and watch that movie with her. She blushed at the memory of her drunken ramblings. 

  


He looked so peaceful and relaxed as he slept, she hadn’t realised just how much tension and awareness he radiated when he was awake. His pink lips were parted slightly and she had the sudden urge to brush her fingertips over them and see if they were as soft as they looked. She resisted. That would risk waking him and she’d rather lie there and watch him sleep.

  


_ Wow, Iris, way to be creepy,  _ she thought to herself. This was getting out of hand. It was getting harder and harder to ignore that she was falling for this dangerous man. The thought made her want to cry. After losing Eddie, she had been guarded, the pain of her grief making her afraid to open herself up to that kind of hurt again. Linda had been right when she’d said dating again was a big step, and it was one Iris had been certain she wasn’t ready to take yet. If she was honest with herself, she hadn’t really expected she’d ever let anyone new into her heart, knowing now that it was already occupied. Only her smart, funny pen pal had turned out to be a handsome and charismatic bad boy with a knack for getting under her skin. It turns out there was room for someone new in her heart, because he wasn’t really new after all.

  


She was fairly certain it wasn't entirely one-sided either. They were an inch from non-platonic as it was. They were a possibility with a monumental potential for disaster. Her father’s ire at her seeing Eddie would be nothing compared to the fallout of her actually dating Captain Cold. He’d probably disown her, or worse, shoot Len. 

  


She should get up, get him out of her home and out of her life. There were a thousand reasons for her to toss him out the door, but she forgot them all the moment those beautiful blue eyes blinked blearily open. He kept that blissful, resting expression for a whole second before he froze at the realisation he was in an unfamiliar place. She closed her eyes and sighed, hearing his heart jackhammer under her ear.

  


“Don’t,” she murmured sleepily, too tired and achy to bother dealing with the reality of their situation right now. They could both freak out later.

  


“Don’t what?” His voice was low, cautious and carefully measured.  

  


“Panic and disappear like last time.” His frozen, blank expression finally broke as he pouted.

  


“I didn’t panic,” he grumbled. “I thought you might appreciate being given some space.

  


“Well, I suppose you can’t read every situation perfectly.” She sighed, hesitating just a moment, before quietly adding, “I liked dancing with you.” It felt like speaking the admission too loudly would break the early morning limbo they hid within.

  


“Which is why I chose to give you space. I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret.” His voice was calm yet resigned and she hadn’t expected that. That he, of all people, might try to protect her from himself. She propped herself up a little so she could look him in the eye, making sure he knew she was serious.

  


“The only thing I regret is not getting to know you sooner.”

  


“I hope that never changes,” he responded softly, still resigned. “But I know it will.” She opened her mouth to deny it, but he cut her off. “What do you think will happen, the next time Barry limps home with frostbite? Or you have to report on a robbery where the security system was frozen? What then, Iris? Can you honestly tell me you won’t regret this?” She studied his face and worried her lip, giving his question the serious thought it deserved.

  


“I think I’d be disappointed,” she answered finally. “I hate seeing Barry hurt, even now when I know he’ll bounce back. But he makes the choice to go out there and risk his life every day. I don’t like what you do, but I also know it’s a part of you. You’re the kind of guy who isn’t happy unless he’s being challenged. 

So I might hate that you steal and that Barry and  _ you _ get hurt in the process, but I already knew that. I know that you have it in you to be  _ better _ but I have no right to ask you to change just because I want you to. And I can’t regret what I walked into with my eyes wide open.” His eyes were suspiciously bright by the time she finished and he swallowed thickly, apparently lost for words. Slowly, a warm, open smile spread across his face.

  


“You could give Scarlet a run for his money with speeches like that.” She smiled, resting one hand on his chest so she could prop her chin on it. At this point she was basically sprawled half on top of him, but it fit with the shift their dynamic had taken. Neither had really said it, but they‘d both gotten closer than they intended. What that meant for them now was still up in the air, but at least they’d established that neither of them was running from this anymore.

  


“Where do you think he learned it from?” she quipped. “Now are you gonna just lie there and doubt me, or are you gonna help me make breakfast? Because I have a hell of a hangover that only coffee and grease can cure.” His familiar smirk slipped into place, and it was reassuring to see him finally relax.

  


“Lucky for you, caffeine and grease are definitely in my wheelhouse. Why don’t you take a shower, and I’ll see what I can do?”

  


“God yes, I think I’ll keep you,” she joked, pecking him on the lips and staggering to her feet. She felt strangely giddy at the idea of him in her home, in her kitchen, making coffee like this was something normal that happened all the time.  _ Why couldn’t it be?  _ she thought, daydreaming a little as she got cleaned up. It was only when she was standing there under the hot spray, her headache already fading, that she realised that she’d kissed him. It had just been habit, a holdover from nights spent relaxing on the couch with Eddie. It really drove home to her how deep she was in, that her subconscious would make that connection. At least she wasn’t alone fumbling her way through this, if their earlier conversation was anything to go by. A small, petulant part of her was disappointed. As first kisses went, it was pitiful, and she couldn’t imagine how Len had reacted after she left the room. She got distracted thinking about how a real first kiss might feel with him.

  


Her daydreams disintegrated when she walked into the reality of her kitchen. Len was there, freshly cooked eggs, bacon and toast set out on the counter with a steaming pot of coffee. And Barry was there too, forcefully shoving Len against a wall. She wanted to kick herself, having completely forgotten they were supposed to be hanging out this morning. She’d hoped she would have a little time to prepare before having this conversation, but it seemed fate had other plans.

  


“Barry?” Was all she managed to say before he flashed into her space, clearly checking her over for injuries.

  


“Oh my god, Iris, you’re OK!” he exclaimed. She grabbed his wrists to still his probing hands.

  


“Yes, Bar, I’m fine, just a little hungover.” Barry looked relieved, but the tension didn’t really leave his frame.

  


“Iris, why the hell is Captain Cold in your apartment?” he demanded. Len moved a step and Barry flashed back to slam him into the wall again. “Don’t move. Damnit, Snart, I thought we had an agreement?” There was an underlying layer of hurt to his anger that broke Iris' heart a little. 

  


“Barry, let him go!” she commanded, trying to get a grip on the situation. “He’s here because I invited him in.”

  


“Why would you…” He trailed off, his gaze flicking back and forth between Iris, Len and the frying pan he’d gone been attending. Finally his eyes settled on her, wide and disbelieving.

  


“ _ Iris?”  _ It was clear what conclusion he’d reached. To her surprise, he didn’t sound shocked or scandalised, he just sounded...betrayed. She’d been prepared for shock and even anger, but she had no idea what to do with this. Len tried to come to her rescue.

  


“Look, Kid, relax-”

  


“I wasn’t talking to you,” Barry snarled, cutting him off.

  


“Barry, please,” Iris implored, gently gripping his elbow. “Please, let him go.” Barry looked back and forth between them, his face a spectrum of emotion. Finally, still glaring at Len, he let go. Len couldn’t help himself from smirking as he straightened his shirt and Iris glared at him too for exacerbating the situation. 

  


They stood in tense silence for a moment, three points of a triangle with none daring to break the equilibrium. Iris took a deep, steadying breath, trying to gather her thoughts enough to offer an explanation. Barry was practically vibrating with tension and Len had his irritating mask firmly in place. 

  


“Barry, I know what you’re thinking,” she began, only for him to cut her off.

  


“Really? Well that makes one of us. What the hell were  _ you _ thinking, Iris? And you!” He rounded on Len. “What kind of sick game are you playing, going after Iris?”

  


“I’m not playing anybody, Barry,” Len growled, irrationally annoyed that Barry was, for once, thinking the worst of him. “Iris is a friend.” 

  


Barry’s accusing gaze swung to Iris. “You’re friends?” he spluttered, as though that was the worst thing they could be. “Since when are you-” He was cut off by an ominous sounding ringtone. He actually growled in frustration, snatching the device from his pocket at super-speed, scowling at what he saw on the screen. “I gotta go,” he snapped. “We are still talking about this later!” With one last scowl, he was gone.

  


Iris slumped against the counter, feeling drained. Len did the same beside her, only hesitating a moment before draping a comforting arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him, grateful for the support.

  


“That could have gone better,” Len deadpanned. Iris just groaned, hiding her face in her hands. He laughed softly at her. “Coffee?”

  


“Hell yes!”

  


They ended up finishing the movie while eating breakfast, both making a point to not mention Barry or the earlier incident. The final battle had just come to an end when Len’s phone rang.

  


“What?” he answered briskly as Iris hit pause, watching his expressions as he spoke. His irritation was clear as he snapped down the phone. “So get a cab.” Confusion suddenly laced his annoyance. “What happened to your shirt?” He chuckled. “Isn’t that what you wanted?” Finally, he sighed. “Fine. Give me half an hour.” he hung up and looked at her apologetically. “I’m afraid we’ll have to cut this short. Mick needs a ride.”

  


“Dare I ask what happened to his shirt?” she asked with a raised eyebrow, getting up with him. He snorted.

  


“It was sacrificed to the flames of passion.” 

  


“I’ll bet it was.” She’d walked him to the door, and now they stood a little awkwardly in the threshold. “Hey Len? Don’t worry about Barry. I’ll talk to him.”

  


“Good to hear. I’d like to walk away from our next encounter in one piece,” he drawled, looking down at her fondly. “Just, don’t go out on a limb on my account. I can handle Scarlet just fine if I need to.”

  


“It’s your idea of ‘handling’ that worries me.” She bit her lip, noticing the way his eyes flicked down to her mouth. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

  


“Count on it.” He didn’t turn to go, just kept looking at her with those beautiful eyes like he was deliberating something. She thought back to her daydreams in the shower and decided to make the choice herself. A single step and her tiptoes brought her mouth to his for the second time that morning.

  


This time she savoured it, the feel of his lips against hers, the heat of his body so close, the gentle touch of his palm where it cradled her jaw. The overall sensation was smooth and warm and felt like coming home. They were both breathing a little heavily by the time they broke apart.

  


“You’re gonna be late,” she teased softly, a little breathless.

  


“I’m suddenly tempted to leave Mick half-naked on the side of the road,” he murmured. He swooped in to steal a second kiss, this one brief and sharp but no less intense. “Stay out of trouble, Iris.” With that sentiment he strode off down the hallway, an unrepentant swagger in his step.

  
“It’ll be easy, you’re taking it all with you!” She called after him. He shot her a devilish wink over his shoulder. She sighed heavily as she shut the door, knowing she sounded like a lovesick teenager. 

  


Now, if only Barry was so easy to mollify.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, guess who's P.O.V is next chapter?
> 
> Y'all can thank AGDoren for the Barry angst, this is what happens when people make innocent suggestions.


	7. Back-Alley Rendezvous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry needs answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, I have had a very, very busy week/end. And Barry somehow insisted on needing the longest chapter yet.

 

The whip of the wind against Barry’s face felt good, refreshing, but it failed to distract him from the turmoil of his thoughts. Honestly, his first thought when he had walked into Iris’ apartment that morning was that he was dreaming. He knew she’d gone out with Linda and Caitlin the night before and had expected to have to drag her out of bed and ply her with coffee until she was coherent. Instead, he’d arrived to the sound of activity in the kitchen, the scent of bacon and eggs making his stomach growl. He’d walked into the kitchen with a quip on the tip of his tongue, only to stop dead in his tracks, dumbstruck by the sight before him.

 

There stood Captain Cold, dressed in a wrinkled dark blue shirt and jeans, holding a frying pan in the middle of Iris’ kitchen. Barry felt like his brain had shut down, every idle daydream he’d had about the man suddenly a reality in front of him.His sleeves were pushed up to reveal the tantalizing tips of several tattoos, stark against his skin. There was a fresh pot of coffee on the table and Snart was busy plating eggs onto freshly buttered toast. At was absurdly domestic, and if Iris walked in at that moment Barry would have been utterly convinced he had legitimately somehow stepped into a fantasy.

 

The thought of Iris jarred him, alarm bells wailing in his head. He was in  _ Iris’ apartment. _ And Snart was here. Where the hell was Iris? Barry felt a phantom pain in his chest. He’d thought Snart was better than this, a man with honour forced to hide it by the hand life had dealt him. But if he had actually had the gall to go through Iris to get to Barry...Barry saw red.

 

When Snart turned to put the pan back on the stove, he caught sight of Barry and froze. Snart hadn’t been prepared for him. In that moment, Barry acted. He sped forward and grabbed Snart by his shirt and slammed him against the nearest wall. He could feel his hands shaking in anger and he knew he looked murderous. Good, maybe Snart would take him seriously. 

 

“Where is she?!” Barry has hissed in Snart’s face. He expected a smug smirk in response, likely followed by a pun, but Snart had remained uncharacteristically stoic. 

 

Barry shook his head, trying to shake the memory of Snart’s icy gaze inches from his face. At the time he’d been furious and shaken, desperately afraid for Iris. But she’d been fine. More than fine, refreshed after a shower and looking forward to breakfast.  _ With Leonard Snart. Because they are friends. _ Nothing made sense. Barry had hated having to leave when he did, desperate for an explanation other than what his mind had conjured. The idea of the two of them together made his gut clench and he didn’t want to look too closely at those feelings. Barry was fairly certain his heart hadn’t stopped hammering since he left that morning. He didn’t know what he would do if he was right.

 

But he needed to know, both what the hell was going on and more importantly, why. Because the thought that Snart was actually despicable enough to use Iris like that, just to get to Barry, made him want to throw up. He had thought he knew where he stood with Snart, at the very least they had hammered out where the lines were. He hated to admit that it felt like Snart had betrayed him again. He’d thought they were past that. A small of part of him also felt betrayed by Iris that she would take a risk like this and not tell him. He knew it was irrational, but it felt a little bit like she’d left him behind.

 

There were too many questions, too much Barry just didn’t know. His need for answers had him racing through the rougher parts of Central City, searching until he found a familiar figure cruising on a motorcycle. Barry’s petty side really wanted to snatch Snart off the bike and let it crash, but he reined his anger in. If he was going to get answers, he couldn’t let Snart know how off-balance he was. The man practically lived to get a rise out of him.

 

Standing in the middle of the road might have been a little dramatic, but it had the desired effect. Snart came to a stop inches in front of him, entirely unsurprised to see him.

 

“Thought I might be seeing you soon, Scarlet,” the thief drawled, unclipping his helmet. The smug smirk that had been missing this morning was on full display. Barry didn’t answer, he just grabbed Snart by his leather jacket and flashed him to a suitably private location, in this case an alley behind an abandoned building. He may have given in to his petty side just a little, pushing the other man roughly against the brick wall before stepping back. Snart blinked his eyes hard, but otherwise didn’t react to the sudden change in locale. “If you wanted to get me alone, all you had to do was ask.” 

 

Barry ignored him, ripping back his cowl. “Tell me I’m wrong,” he demanded, voice hard.

 

“I’m afraid you’ll have to be a little more specific.”

 

“Tell me I’m wrong and that you didn’t...insinuate yourself into Iris’ life just so you could use her against me!” Barry clenched his fists, hating how his heart was in his throat, so much of him teetering on the answer.

 

“You’re wrong.” Like it was that simple.

 

“Then why?” Barry pleaded, needing to understand. “What do you have to gain from her?”

 

Leonard gave him a pitying look. “The usual, I’d expect.”

 

“Humour me,” Barry ground out. Leonard huffed a sigh.

 

“Companionship.” Came the droll reply. “Meaningful conversation. An encyclopedic knowledge of brownie recipes, although I’m fairly certain that one is unique to Iris. She truly is a remarkable woman.” His icy stare suddenly seemed to bore into Barry’s skin, making him suppress a shiver. “But I suspect you’re well aware of that.” A blush Barry couldn’t hold back dusted his cheeks. He didn’t think he was that obvious about his feelings, but apparently even Captain Cold had noticed. He elected to ignore the dig.

 

“So you really just...want to be her friend?” Barry asked, frowning in disbelief. Leonard chuffed out a short laugh, like he couldn’t believe that was a legitimate question. Which was fair enough really, he couldn’t imagine anyone ever legitimately hating Iris once they got to know her.

 

“She’s worth the effort. Believe it or not, it was all her idea. And let’s be honest, you really don’t have a leg to stand on here.”

 

“Excuse me?” Barry hated the way Leonard so easily threw his thoughts off-track.

 

“Come on, Scarlet, you were paying me visits long before Iris slapped me on the sidewalk.”

 

“That’s different though, I...wait, she hit you?” That...actually sounded like something she would do. “And you let her?”

 

“Twice,” Leonard clarified with a shrug. “Although to be fair, it was an accident the second time. And she did buy me dinner to apologise for it.” He pinned Barry with his gaze. “So let’s not play the double standard game. You can’t get angry at her for seeing the same thing in me you apparently do.” Barry felt himself deflate. Leonard was right. It was hypocritical of him to spend so much effort asserting that Snart had good in him and then turn around and accuse him of terrible things at the drop of a hat when he didn’t even have the whole story.

 

“You’re right,” he admitted with a sigh. “About the double standard part, not the being angry part, I’m not angry at her. I’m not even angry at you.”

 

“Nice to know. Your signals were decidedly misleading.” Len crossed his arms and Barry winced.

 

“Yeah, sorry, about earlier. With the slamming.”

 

“You’ve done worse,” Len said with a shrug, and that really did not make him feel better.

 

“That doesn’t make it OK. I should’ve at least given you the courtesy of letting you explain.”

 

“Don’t worry about it, Kid.” Leonard looked a little uncomfortable, and Barry wondered if he wasn’t used to honest apologies.

 

“So…” Barry couldn’t stop himself, for the sake of his sanity, he had to know. “You two are...just friends? I mean like, last night, you two, you just hung out right? Nothing, like, you know-”

 

“Don’t hurt yourself, Scarlet. I walked her home because she was drunk and we fell asleep watching movies.” Leonard saved him from his ramblings, albeit with a knowing, mocking smirk. “Nothing to get all worked up over.” He raised one hand. “Scouts honour.” He added mockingly.

 

“That's the vulcan salute,” Barry couldn’t help but point out. 

 

“Well, I never was a boy scout,” Len admitted conspiratorially with a shrug.

 

Barry let out a breath, mostly relieved, and just a tiny bit...disappointed? At times like this, he really wished he could drink. His emotions were all over the place and even he couldn’t keep up today.

 

“So, how did you two, how did this even happen?” he asked, if only to distract himself. The more facts he had, hopefully the easier it would be to figure out his feelings over this whole fiasco. Leonard sighed.

 

“As charming as this little back-alley rendezvous is, I’m starving. Any chance we could relocate somewhere that sells a decent burger?” At the mention of food, Barry’s stomach gave a violent cramp. He’d been so distracted today he really hadn’t eaten enough. 

 

“Sure, why not?” In seconds, he’d deposited Leonard in the shadows near his favourite food truck and rejoined him out of uniform. This is how Barry found himself sitting across from his nemesis at a plastic picnic table, eating burgers and talking about his best friend. He wondered if it had ever felt weird for Iris, sitting with Len and talking about Barry. 

 

“So,” Barry began, once they’d sat down with their food. “How did you guys go from Iris slapping you in the street to drunk movie nights? Was Christmas even the first time you met?”

 

“Technically, yes.” Len tilted his head as he answered, smirking, and Barry knew Len was enjoying making him work for answers. Barry huffed.

 

“And what does that mean? How do you only technically meet someone?” he asked.

 

“Before you officially made a name for yourself as the Flash, Iris ran a rather popular blog dedicated to the mysterious Streak.”

 

“God, that name was terrible.”

 

“No arguments here. After our initial confrontation, I went looking for information on you, found Iris’ blog. We got to talking in the message boards.”

 

“Wait a second,” Barry cut in, pointing an accusing finger at him. “Are you Leo Wynters?!”

 

“That is one of my aliases, yes. I take it she mentioned our correspondence?”

 

“Are you kidding? I’ve only been making fun of her about you for a year!” He took in Len’s frown and quickly explained. “Iris always used to give me crap about having online friends and wouldn’t shut up about internet predators.” He chuckled as it really hit home who Iris had been messaging. “I am officially never letting her live this down.”

 

“I feel like I should be insulted right now,” Len commented darkly.

 

“Nah, it could've been a lot worse,” Barry shrugged. “So why’d she slap you?” 

 

“You’re really sad you missed that, aren’t you?” Len observed with a cocked eyebrow. Barry grinned unabashedly.

 

“Yes. Yes I am. Don’t suppose you’d be open to a re-enactment?”

 

“Sorry, Kid, I don’t do encores.”

 

“You got off lucky, you know. If she’d punched you…” He trailed off, grinning smugly. 

 

“She boxes?” Len looked intrigued by the idea.

 

“Since we were kids. She’s good, too.”

 

“So what's your excuse?” the thief asked innocently.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“I've seen you fight, Scarlet,” Len explained, looking exasperated. “You’re technique is sloppy, you rely entirely on your speed and constantly leave yourself open. I would think you’d be smart enough to get someone to coach you.”

 

“I did,” Barry answered quietly, suddenly subdued at the memory of Eddie. Len studied his expression.

 

“Ah,” he hummed, looking as close to apologetic as Barry thought him capable. “The late detective Thawne, I presume.” Barry nodded.  The silence stretched between them for a moment, heavy with Eddies memory. “Tell me about him,” Len said suddenly.

 

“Why?” Barry asked, frowning. Why would Len want to know about Eddie? The other man sighed and contemplated for a moment, clearly picking his words.

 

“The people we mourn are important. They change us. Sometimes, they define us.” Len’s eyes were clear bright ice chips that seemed to see right through him. “Eddie Thawne was important, to Iris and to you. I’m simply curious as to why. You might recall our previous encounters were... a touch one-sided.” The last part was said in a sardonic tone that helped to ease the sudden heaviness of the mood.

 

“OK,” Barry said, nodding and forcing himself to take a deep breath. It was surprisingly cathartic, talking about Eddie. Len knew who Eddie was, but he had never known him, so Barry could talk about him, sharing his loss without feeling like he was reminding someone of their own pain. Len didn’t interrupt much, just occasionally asking questions to keep Barry on track. The man was a surprisingly good listener when he wanted to be, his attention never wavering. Once Barry had exhausted the subject of Eddie, feeling lighter than he had in a long time, the conversation smoothly transitioned to safer topics. By the time Barry got a phone call, he didn’t even realise they’d been sitting there talking for over an hour.

 

“It’s Iris,” he announced for Len’s benefit before answering. “Hey!”

 

“Hey!” Iris returned his greeting, sounding relieved. “I was a little worried you wouldn’t answer. Haven’t heard from you all day.” There was a nervous lilt to her voice and Barry hated himself a little for letting her stew in uncertainty all day.

 

“Yeah, sorry I had to rush out this morning. But don’t worry, I had a chance to clear my head and think things over. Actually, I think this is a good thing.” Across the table Len’s eyebrows jumped and Barry just smirked at him. Iris seemed similarly surprised.

 

“Really? You do?”

 

“Yeah,” Barry answered, now treating Len to a fully teasing grin. “I think, between the two of us, we might actually be able to keep him out of trouble.” 

 

“I’d like to see you try,” Len scoffed, rolling his eyes.

 

“Was that- is Len there with you?” Iris asked. Barry nodded, realised his mistake from Len’s disdainful look and answered vocally.

 

“Yeah. We’re by Frankie’s Grill Truck.”

 

“You’re just...getting burgers. And talking, like mature adults.” Iris clearly barely believed her own words.

 

“Hey, I can be mature!” Barry protested, putting the phone on speaker. “Tell her I’m being mature,” he demanded, pouting.

 

“He’s pouting, isn’t he?” Iris asked, giggling.

 

“Like someone kicked his puppy,” Len confirmed, obviously amused. “It’s really not doing much for your maturity argument, Kid.”

 

“I take it back, you two being friends is the worst,” Barry groaned. Both Iris and Len laughed outright at that.

 

“I kinda wish I could see your face right now,” Iris added wistfully. 

 

“What are you doing right now?” Barry asked, a sly smile growing on his face.

 

“I’m just at home, why?” No sooner had she answered, Barry was off, running to Iris’ apartment and scooping her up, depositing her a moment later in the free seat at their table. 

 

“Hello, Iris,” Len greeted her pleasantly, looking entirely unfazed. His eyes flicked over to Barry. “Your shoes are on fire.” Barry yelped, stamping his feet to put them out. He’d forgotten he’d changed out of his suit.

 

“Hi Len,” Iris greeted him back through her amused grin. “I’m a little surprised, I’d have thought Frankie’s would be way too ‘humble’ for you.” Barry’s brow furrowed a little as he took his seat, not understanding the comment. Len, however, huffed out a laugh.

 

“It’s not exactly what I would have chosen, true. Seems you and Barry similar tastes for the 'quaint and quiet'.” 

 

“If you two keep playing nice, maybe I’ll let you pick the place next time?” Iris teased. 

 

“I always play nice.” 

 

“If that’s the case, I’d hate to see how you play dirty,” Barry added with a snort, taking a sip of his lemonade.

 

“Trust me, Scarlet, you’ll know when I’m playing dirty.”

 

Barry almost choked on his drink. 

 

“Don’t give him any ideas. We’re trying to keep him out of trouble, remember?” Iris teased, oblivious to Barry’s suddenly thundering pulse. He knew better than to read too much into it, Len’s voice gave just about everything he said a flirty undertone. It was just a lot harder to ignore when he said something like  _ that _ , and he’s sitting there relaxed and casual, dressed in a glossy leather jacket instead of that ridiculous parka. Like this, Barry didn’t see him as his enemy, Captain Cold, but as Leonard Snart, Iris’ friend. And possibly Barry’s too. Their relationship had certainly taken an odd turn with Iris added into the mix.  

 

Interestingly, her presence seemed to act as a buffer. The sharpness to Len’s snark that had been there before disappeared and Barry found himself relaxing completely. Their banter flowed easily, interwoven with three sets of inside references. Barry found himself reminded of nights hanging out with Iris and Eddie, only without the minor awkwardness of feeling like a third wheel. Although, now that the thought occurred to him...there was something in Len’s eyes when he looked at Iris, something familiar. It was well hidden, but Barry made observations for a living.

 

Those icy blue eyes looked at Iris the way Eddie used to. In that moment, Barry knew that he could trust Leonard Snart with Iris’ life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is turning out to be a lot longer than originally planned. 
> 
> But at least I have a plan!
> 
> These three have a tendency to wind up on accidental dates. I wonder if any of them have realised that.


	8. Dangerous Knights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Desperate times call for back up

 

Len groaned in frustration, giving his phone another dirty look. Iris still hadn't replied. Despite the collected front he put up when they were together, Iris had an inexplicable tendency to reduce him to a fumbling teenager on the inside. He should not be this worked up over waiting for her to reply. It was an innocent enough suggestion, an invitation for him to help her work on her pool game. They had met up a few times over the past couple of weeks, casual interactions that had been unexpectedly enjoyable and fulfilling. With the added surprise of Barry being present for most of them. Len wasn’t complaining, he found himself enjoying Barry’s company just as much as Iris’. But it meant that he and Iris had yet to progress beyond a few stolen kisses. Len would have liked to get a handle on that relationship before attempting to figure out the complication that was Barry Allen.

 

It hadn’t really been that long since he texted her, but Iris still hadn’t replied. He should not be reading so much into the silence. The wait was just nerve-wracking, a stark reminder of the many reasons why he usually avoided these kinds of attachments. Angrily, he reshuffled the blueprints on the table in front of him, trying to get back into his planning. Over on the couch, Mick chuckled at him, clearly getting a kick out of watching him squirm. Len just shot him a glare and went back to alternating between reading plans and checking his phone.

 

Both men jumped a little in surprise when Mick’s phone rang. That was strange in and of itself, since the only person who ever actually called Mick was Len. Mick frowned and looked at the screen, a lecherous grin spreading across his face when he read the caller ID.

 

“Well,” he purred into the device. “Wasn’t expecting to hear from you again so soon.” As he listened, one of Mick’s eyebrows jumped. “What kind of favour?” Mick’s eyes flicked tellingly over to Len, his expression turning pensive. Len gave up any pretence of not listening and moved around the table over to the couch, intensely curious. “What makes you think he’ll be interested in listening?” Mick face suddenly went stony, the teasing gone from his tone, now all business. “I can do you one better, he’s right here.” After a pause, Mick shoved the phone at Len without preamble, who took it without question, beating back his confusion.

 

“-atching it in now.” That sounded like Cisco.

 

“Hello?” Len tried, a little uncertainly.

 

“Len!” Barry exclaimed, sounding out of breath. “I need your help!” Len opened his mouth to fire off a sarcastic retort but Barry’s next words cut him off. “Iris has been kidnapped and I’m tied up with two metahumans trying to tear apart downtown.” Len felt like ice had flooded his veins.

 

“What happened?” he snapped. 

 

“Near as we can tell, she was out with Wally when they stumbled across a crime in progress,” Cisco, apparently listening in on the conversation, helpfully filled him in. In the distance, Len heard what sounded like an explosion. Barry really was in the middle of a fight. “She was calling Joe when they spotted her and decided to take her hostage. Took Wally too when he tried to stop them.”

 

“Joe’s at the station and the whole force is looking for them, but they have no idea where to start looking and won’t be able to get near them without risking Iris and Wally,” Barry added around muffled bangs and scraping sounds.

 

“Who?” He was getting a lot of information but none of the right information.

 

“Facial rec is working through the security footage right now,” Cisco supplied.

 

“Where did this happen?”

 

“Corner of Reynolds and Whedon. If it helps, one of the dudes who took them has a really douchey-looking blonde streak in his hair,” Cisco prattled. Len’s mind instantly latched onto that piece of information, shuffling it in with the rest to create the picture he needed.

 

“Marco Renzo isn’t exactly known for his sense of style.”

 

“You know him? Can you find them? Barry asked, desperation seeping into his voice. “Please, I-”

 

“I’ll take care of it, Scarlet.” Len hung up the phone before he did something stupid, like tell Barry to be careful. He tossed the phone back to Mick, who’d already gotten to his feet. “Get your gun, meet me in the car.”

* * *

 

The sound of a slow clap reverberated throughout the warehouse. The acoustics of the room were impressive and Len knew he was going to savour this confrontation. The six men in the room looked up, startled as he made his presence known. The sight of him striding confidently into the room, dressed in full Captain Cold regalia was enough to get the two men in the back to flee entirely. No matter, Mick had the back entrance covered, he would handle them. In the corner, he could see Iris kneeling on the floor next to a young man who must be Wally. She looked a little shaken, but fine, holding her bloody cardigan against her brother’s head. Apparently he wasn’t quite so unharmed. The edge of his smirk sharpened ever so slightly. Iris’ eyes tracked him, but she didn’t move or say anything. Smart girl.

 

“Well, gentlemen. This really is impressive!” The idiots actually got shaky smiles at that. “Really. I didn’t think this sheer level of idiocy was even possible until this moment.” Their smiles dropped. Marco Renzo, a common thug who's family connections had largely kept him out of prison, stepped forward.

 

“What do you want, Cold?” he demanded. Len gave him a condescending look.

 

“Careful, Marco. You’re starting to sound like you’ve forgotten who this town belongs to.” 

 

“Don’t give me that shit,” the idiot scoffed. “We followed your damn rules.”

 

“Funny. You sound like you actually believe that. Apparently, you need a refresher.” Len let his voice raise a little for the last part and let his smirk drop, enjoying the way Marco’s men squirmed, amatuer enough to let their apprehension be seen. “I’ll even say it in your mother tongue, just to make absolutely sure there are no more misunderstandings.” He slipped seamlessly into flawless Italian.

 

“When I gave you permission to operate in my city, I gave you some very simple rules to follow. Do you remember what rule number one was?” His tone was deceptively pleasant, belied by his thunderous expression.

 

“Don’t piss off the cops,” one of Marco’s goons piped up helpfully, getting a glare from his boss.

 

“Don’t needlessly aggravate the authorities, glad to hear at least one of you remembers. So maybe you could explain to me,” he stepped into Marco’s space, his smooth, low voice gaining volume with each word, “why you have the children of one of the CCPD’s most decorated detectives held at gunpoint?” By now he was yelling in the other man’s face, Marco finally realising just what kind of trouble he was in.

 

“They’re cop kids?” the idiot asked. Len fought the urge to growl.

 

“Honestly, Marco, I was told you were a professional.”

 

“So let’s just kill the kids and dump them!” One of the goons piped up, thankfully also in Italian.

 

“And we’re back to rule number one,” Len shut him down loudly, switching back to English. He pulled the cold gun from its holster, letting his voice thunder through the room. “Maybe I need to make things a little more clear: This is the part where you get on your knees and pray for mercy because the fact that I had to actually come down here and fix the mess you made in  _ my city _ means your chances of walking away just went sub-zero!” He pointed the cold gun at one of the goons, eyes not once straying from Marco but clearly addressing the other guy. “That hand so much as twitches closer to that gun and you lose it!” he snarled. He went back to addressing the room at large. “Did you all not hear me? I told you to  _ get on your knees! _ ”

 

“Fuck you, asshole!” Marco shouted, one hand moving towards his holster. “You think just ‘cause you got a fancy gu-AAAAAHHH!!!” His shrill scream echoed through the warehouse as his gun hand was frozen solid. Len let his cold gun arc across the room, expertly targeting limbs until all of the idiots were on the ground clutching something. Len looked in the corner and finally met Iris’ dark eyes.

 

“Go,” he ordered. She didn’t respond or hesitate, briskly leading her injured brother out of the warehouse. Len crouched down in front of Marco and sighed dramatically, addressing him in a deceptively mild tone. “You just had to do things the hard way. Normally, this is the part where I let my colleague burn this place to the ground with you inside, but your little stunt just so happens to have drawn the wrong kind of attention.” The prone man shrieked as Len prodded his frostbitten hands with the barrel of his gun. “If you make it to a hospital in the next five minutes, you  _ might _ get to keep all your fingers. If you don’t make it out of my city by this time tomorrow, you  _ won’t  _ get to keep your life.” He stood and walked away, leaving them all whimpering on the floor.

 

Outside, he found the others at his car, Mick gruffly checking Wally for a concussion. Once he’d stepped out, Iris immediately strode over to him. Len holstered his cold gun, suddenly self conscious. Iris hadn’t seen him like this since before they became friends. There was a good chance this whole debacle had been enough to make her see sense. Her eyes flicked over his person as she approached, concern lining her face. The moment she was in reach, she pulled him to her, kissing him fiercely. There was a slight tremble in her shoulders, the last symptom of her fear. He wrapped his arms around them, pulling her closer to quiet his own fear and anger. He could and would have done so much worse to those men tonight, but he restrained himself for her sake. She may be aware of the uglier side of him, but that didn’t mean he wanted her to see it.

 

“Thank you,” she whispered against his lips when they finally paused for breath, their foreheads still touching. “Not exactly what I was expecting, but you look good on a white horse.”

 

He chuckled darkly. “Don’t get used to it. Scarlet was a little tied up and, since it was you, I didn't mind being the cavalry. Just this once.” He sobered a little. “Sorry you had to see that.”

 

She cocked an eyebrow at him. “I’m not.” She bit her lip and some heat entered her gaze. “You should speak Italian more often.” 

 

“Terrò a mente,” he responded with a sly, heated smirk. Iris moved to kiss him again only to be interrupted by a new, slurred voice calling out into the still night air.

 

“Stop kissing my sister!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wally knows! Next chapter we get to see the fallout!
> 
> Italian translation (via Google translate): Terrò a mente - I'll keep that in mind
> 
> Borrowed the 'white horse' line from iZombie.
> 
> A giant chunk of this chapter was inspired by a tumblr post I read about Len being a polyglot and another character getting turned on watching him yell at another criminal in italian. Credit to whoever wrote that post, unfortunately I can't find it right now.


	9. Family Feud

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the fallout

“He just saved your ass, Kid, I’d shut up if I were you,” Mick growled good-naturedly as he pushed Wally further into the car. Iris sighed deeply and stepped away from Len to deal with her concussed little brother.

 

“Oh, the hypocrisy!” Wally exclaimed dramatically when she got close, his face split with a shit-eating grin.

 

Iris scowled and crossed her arms. “You’re concussed, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said flatly. He waggled a finger in the face of her unimpressed look.

 

“After all the shit you gave me for racing, little miss golden girl Iris is dating a Bad Guy!” Wally looked like christmas had come early.

 

“It’s totally different, Wally. There are no speeding death-traps involved,” she retorted hotly, feeling her stomach flip at the statement that they were dating. They’d never really talked about the shift in their relationship, they hadn’t even gone on any dates. No, that wasn’t true. A blush coloured Iris’ cheeks as she thought about all their interactions. Holy shit, they had been dating for weeks. Hell, she had joked about it and still not even realised.

 

“I bet he has a motorcycle,” Wally practically sang, still grinning dopily in the face of Iris’ ire. He turned his head to look at Len thoughtfully. “Do you have a motorcycle? What kind of motorcycle?”

 

“The kind you’ll never see because if you don’t shut up I am going to murder you,” Iris hissed. She turned to Len. “Ignore him, he’s concussed.”

 

“You don’t say?” Len deadpanned. “Don’t worry about it, I’m familiar with the joy of being an older sibling. Buckle him in, we should get him to a doctor.” Iris was happy to comply, sliding into the backseat next Wally when she was done, hoping he’d forget their conversation. Len and Mick got in the front, Mick shooting off a quick text before starting the car. Her luck had apparently run out for the night, as Wally addressed her as soon as the car began moving.

 

“Don’t get me wrong,” he slurred. “Your boyfriend is badass. Like, dude, you’re awesome. And thanks, by the way.” Iris felt mildly hysterical giddiness twist her stomach when he called Len her boyfriend. If they were dating, was he her boyfriend? Iris tamped down on her rampant emotions. Now was really not the time to be over-analysing her relationship.

 

Len just cocked an eyebrow at him in the rearview mirror, looking bemused. “Don’t mention it.”

 

Wally’s attention had already shifted back to Iris, his grin finally dropping. “I just...it kinda hurts that you can’t trust my judgement, in what I do, but I KNOW,” he practically shouted the word, “you are gonna ask me to, to trust your judgement in...who you do.” In the front, Mick was giggling to himself while Len tried to shut him up with a glare. Iris groaned into her palm. Despite his minor incoherence, Wally was right. She was being at least a little hypocritical, and she knew just how much it hurt when the ones you trust didn’t trust you.

 

“OK, Wally. You’re right.”

 

“I am?” Wally was clearly surprised that she was agreeing with him.

 

“Yes.” She sighed deeply. “You know how to look out for yourself and I know that. The ones I don’t trust are the other guys on the track. I’m your big sister, Wally, I’m always gonna worry about you and drive you crazy trying to protect you.” He studied her for a moment, an impressive feat given his lack of focus. Eventually, he shrugged.

 

“You’ll try. But that’s what families do, they worry about each other.” Right now, Iris had never felt closer to her little brother. He smiled at her, not the wide grin from before, but a soft smile that was only a little lop-sided. She gave him a full, joy-filled smile in return that was just a little watery. “At least now I know you got one scary bastard looking out for you. Well, two. Because, you know, Joe.”

 

“Oh, you have no idea,” Iris chuckled, thinking about her rather protective father. The thought sobered her. “Um, Wally? About Dad…”

 

Wally snorted derisively. “He doesn’t know.” It wasn’t a question but Iris still confirmed it with a guilty shake of her head. Wally got a sly, conniving smirk. “How bout we make a deal?”

 

“Go on,” Iris prompted, narrowing her eyes at him.

 

“Well, for now we’ll start with you never saying a word about the racing.”

 

“You are going to milk this for all it’s worth, aren’t you?”

 

He barked a laugh. “Absolutely!” Now both Mick and Len were chuckling at her and she glared at them through the rear-view mirror. Iris didn’t notice where they were headed, too distracted by her wayward brother, until they pulled up outside STARlabs.

 

“Why are we here?” she asked with a frown. Mick had already gotten out and opened Wally’s door to heft him out of the backseat, despite his squawking protests.

 

“Kid needs to get looked at,” Mick grunted. Iris got out of the car and fell into step with them.

 

“He needs a doctor and Team Flash will want to see you both," Len added, "Seemed easier to kill two birds with one stone.” Iris prayed to any deity that might be listening that her father was not in the building.

* * *

  


“-ere has Golden Glider’s number?”

 

“Hey, she is hardly on the same level as Hea-”

 

“Seriously, am I the only one of us who doesn’t have a Rogue on speed-dial?”

 

“I do not have him on speed-dial!”

 

“Naw, you got him on booty-call-dial!”

 

“Come on, Ramon, you can do better than that,” Len announced their arrival with a disappointed drawl. Iris gave Caitlin a knowing smirk, have a good idea of what exactly what they’d been arguing about.

 

“Iris, you’re OK!” Barry gushed as he rushed over to her, sweeping her into a tight hug. She hugged him back just as fiercely, the very last dregs of her tension falling away at his touch. Behind them, Caitlin ushered Mick to carry a still complaining Wally over to the hospital bed. Once reassured that Iris was indeed safe, Barry did something that no one but Iris expected.

 

He pulled Len into a very short, but no less fierce, hug. Iris watched as Len’s eyes widened, his whole body freezing at the unexpected embrace. It could just have been the lab’s lights, but she could have sworn she saw a blush light up his cheeks. Before anyone could really react, Barry let him go, although he left one hand gripping the thief’s shoulder.

 

“Thank you.” His tone was solemn and entirely sincere. Iris could see the tightness in Len’s jaw and knew he was completely lost and trying not to show it.

 

“Don’t get used to it,” Len finally responded. The statement lacked bite, sounding more like a warning to keep Iris safe rather than an implication that Len wouldn’t always help. Barry grinned at him, carefree and genuinely happy now that everything was taken care of.

 

“So how many heists are you planning to fix your reputation?” Barry teased. Len’s smirk lifted back into place, happy to be back on familiar ground.

 

“That would be telling, Scarlet. Guess you’ll just have to catch me if you can.”

 

“Am I in the twilight zone right now?” Cisco interrupted, looking legitimately concerned. “Did I fall into Earth-3 without realising?”

 

Barry rolled his eyes and took his hand of Len’s shoulder. “It’s not that big of a deal, Cisco-”

 

“Oh I think it is. How many times has he tried to-”

 

“Lisa Snart,” Barry cut him off with a no-nonsense tone. Cisco scowled at him.

 

“I concede the point. But I want it on record that I am not happy about it!” he huffed. He looked to Iris. “Congratulations, you’re apparently the only one around here who hasn’t completely lost their mind.”

 

“Debatable,” Len drawled, earning him an elbow in the side from Iris. Cisco looked back and forth between them, realisation dawning.

 

“Dios mio!” he muttered. “We’re all insane. I weep for the people of Central City.”

 

“No need to be so dramatic, Ramon,” Len was clearly enjoying Cisco’s discomfort. “Now what’s this I keep hearing about you and my baby sister?” Cisco paled rapidly, looking like a deer in the headlights.

 

“Stop messing with the poor kid, Len. Pretty sure he’s had enough to deal with tonight,” Iris said, coming to Cisco’s rescue.

 

“I’m doing him a favour. If he can’t handle me, then he has no hope with Lisa.” He simply smirked in the face of her cocked eyebrow.

 

“Definitely in the twilight zone,” Cisco muttered under his breath. Barry just looked amused by their banter.

 

The sound of running feet echoed from down the hall, and everyone looked to see Joe race into the room and sweep Iris into a bruising hug. Over by the hospital bed, Mick’s posture went from easy and relaxed to tense and alert. Len subtly took a step back, ensuring he was out of Joe’s line of sight for now. Even Barry looked tense, just waiting for the bomb to drop.

 

“Oh, baby girl, you’re OK! I was so worried!”

 

“I know, Dad, but I’m fine now,” Iris soothed him. “At worst, a couple of bruises from rough hands, and Wally got pistol-whipped-”

 

“What?” Joe looked around wildly until he found his son, rushing over to the hospital bed. Caitlin placed a gentle, calming hand on his shoulder.

 

“He has a concussion, but he should make a full recovery. We’ll just need to keep him under observation for the night,” she informed him.

 

“Hey, Joe,” Wally greeted Joe with his dopey grin. “Did you know Captain Cold has a motorcycle?”

 

“What?” Joe’s face went through an impressive array of expressions as he processed the question and then finally looked around the room. His distrustful gaze swung back and forth between the two Rogues.

 

“What the hell are they doing here?” he demanded coldly, one hand resting on his gun.

 

“Considering I carried your kid’s injured ass in here, you might wanna tone down the hostility,” Mick growled, his own hand drifting to his gun.

 

“Mick,” Len drawled in a clear warning. Mick glared at the other thief, but none the less backed off, putting space between him and Joe. Len addressed the detective. “Scarlet was having a little trouble being in two places at once. He called in a favour.”

 

Iris felt like her heart was galloping in her chest, her exhausted nerves once again crackling with the tension. She trusted that, if it came to it, Barry could easily disarm everyone in the room. But the last thing she wanted was for the animosity between Len and her father to get even worse. She had hoped that his actions tonight might be a step towards a truce. That would never happen if things were allowed to get out of hand.

 

“Dad,” she added, her tone imploring. “He saved us.”

 

Joe’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, to get something he wanted out of it. What was it, Snart? What pound of flesh did you demand this time?”

 

Len opened his mouth to answer, but Barry was faster. “He didn’t ask for anything.”

 

“Yet,” Joe added darkly. Len wasn’t smirking anymore, instead his expression had turned serious and cold. Iris recognised it as one of the masks he slipped behind when uncomfortable. She wished she knew what he was feeling to make him react like that, wishing she could help. But right now, all she could do was attempt to diffuse her father’s temper.

 

“Dad,” she said forcefully. “You don’t have to like it, you don’t even have to show it, but you do owe them at least a little gratitude.” She saw the surprise in her father’s eyes and the moment he went from being a concerned cop into an overprotective father. He was clearly gearing up for an argument.

 

“Iris.” The softly spoken word came not from Joe, but from Len. Joe seemed startled at the familiar term of address, his eyes flicking between the two of them. “Don’t bother. It’s clear Mick and I have have worn out our welcome. We’ll be on our way.” He jerked his head towards the door, signalling Mick to follow, which he did while still glaring at Joe. “Until next time,” Len farewelled them mockingly from the doorway, doffing an imaginary cap, playing up the role Joe had clearly expected.

 

“Bye!” Wally called cheerfully from the bed. The room descended into a pregnant silence. Iris looked to Barry, her biggest ally in this. It was clear that he was just as unhappy about Joe’s reaction as her. She dreaded the day he found out how close Iris and Len really were. Iris gave Barry a meaningful look. He responded with a resigned one of his own, a ‘what can we do’ tilt to his head. Her eyes flicked to Joe and then back, imploring. Barry’s responding look was reluctant but resolved. He sighed deeply and nodded, he would try to fix this. Iris poured all her gratitude into her smile.

 

“Joe, can we talk in private?” Reluctantly, Joe followed Barry into the corridor. With Caitlin fussing over Wally, this left Iris standing awkwardly with Cisco.

 

“Well, that wasn’t awkward at all,” the engineer observed sarcastically. Iris sighed and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands.

 

“Trust me, it could have been a LOT worse.”

 

“Oh, I know. I’m just surprised Cold bowed out. Usually he loves pushing people’s buttons.”

 

“He didn’t want to make things harder for me,” Iris admitted softly. Cisco frowned and peered at her, something in his face softening the longer he looked.

 

“Damn,” he murmured. “You got it bad, girl.”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she made in token protest. But her heart wasn’t in it, too exhausted from the turns her night had taken. Cisco clearly wasn’t buying it.

 

“Yeah you do. You’re getting chills for Cold. And they’re multiplyin’.”

 

“Please don't ever say that again,” she groaned in the face of his antics. “I’m gonna go check on Barry,” she added, grasping at the excuse to avoid this conversation. She didn’t have to go far before she heard the sound of Barry’s voice from around a corner, slowing to a stop so she could catch what was being said.

 

“-marter than anyone gives him credit for and he has so much potential to be a better person! He got dealt a shitty hand and I look at him, and I see the person I could have been if I didn’t have you and Iris. I just want to give him the chance he never had growing up. I know he has good in him.” There was a long beat of silence and Iris debated stepping around the corner and making her presence known. Her father’s words froze her.

  
“Barry, when exactly did you fall in love with Leonard Snart?”

 

“Wuh, what?!” Barry’s flailing and gasping-fish expression were easy to imagine. “What are you- I don't-”

 

“Barr, you have always had a blindspot when it comes to that man!” Joe argued. “You can try to hide it, but I raised you. I know how you get when you care about someone. Now, I don’t know what the hell is going on between you, him and Iris, but I will not stand by and let the man hurt either of you.”

 

“Joe, it's not like that-”

 

“You may believe that, Barry, but I know what I saw. Please, Son, don't make the mistake of putting your trust in him again.”

 

“I trusted him today. With Iris and Wally’s lives, and he came through.” The pleading tone was gone from Barry's voice, replaced with steel and resolve.

 

“He’ll destroy you, Barry.”

  
“I don’t believe that. And if he does, at least I'll be able to say I tried.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dammit Joe! Why you gotta break my heart?
> 
> My understanding of concussions came from what my nursing-student flatmate could tell me, so I apologise for any inaccuracies.
> 
> I'm not entirely happy with this, but it does the job.
> 
> Only a few more chapters to go before it all comes to a head :)


	10. Smooth Criminal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris never ceases to surprise Len

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Here there be smut! If that ain't your thing, stop reading once they leave the kitchen, you won't miss any plot.

“Cooking me dinner? Is that a good sign, or bad?” Len drawled from where he learned against the kitchen doorframe. Iris jumped back from the stove in surprised, shooting him an exasperated glare as she threw a dish towel in his direction. It fluttered uselessly to the floor.

 

“You almost gave me a heart attack!” she griped. “Keep sneaking up on me and see if I ever cook for you again!” But she was grinning at him now, and striding across the kitchen to pull him down into a kiss. He couldn’t help but sigh into it, slipping his arms around her waist to pull her close.

 

He hated to admit it, but he’d been afraid. Joe West’s reaction had been a stark reminder of not just how her father saw him, but how the world saw him. A ruthless crook who wasn’t to be trusted. When she had messaged him earlier, asking him to come over to talk, he had been a little sick with nerves, dreading what she might have to say. If anyone could make her come to her senses and send him packing, it would be her father. Yet apparently, that wasn’t the case. It still surprised him that Iris wanted anything to do with him, that Barry was willing to trust him despite their history. He couldn’t imagine what they saw in him that made them think he was worth the risk. 

 

“Not planning on poisoning me then?” he murmured when they pulled apart. She gave him a look of derision.

 

“Poisoning you would be pretty poor way to thank you for saving my life, don’t you think?” she pointed out as she returned to the stove. Len shrugged.

 

“I’m sure your father would be proud.” He felt a sting at the way his comment made her shoulders slump, a weary sigh pulled from her lips. He walked up behind her, slipping his hands around her waist once again, offering what comfort she might take. He had always hated not having a plan and with Iris it always felt like he was floundering, trying to figure out how to proceed. He’d never gotten close enough to anyone besides Lisa to be comfortable offering comfort. Iris seemed to appreciate the gesture, one hand resting on his as the other stirred the pot.

 

“I know that you’re never gonna be his favourite person,” she said after a moment. “It’s just gonna take a little time.”

 

Len couldn’t help but snort. “Somehow, I think it’s gonna take a little more than time before he’s OK with  _ this _ .” There was no immediate response. Instead she took the pot off the element and turned off the stove. 

 

“Len,” she said finally, soft and just a little hesitant. “What is this?” She turned in his arms to face him. “Because I think I know, but I what I need is to know that we are on the same page. If tonight showed me anything, it’s that we’re gonna have to fight for this, and not just my dad. No one is going to understand. Not if we’re building what I think we are.” It would seem she wanted to have the relationship defining conversation. This was going to be a verbal minefield, all the more difficult because Len had never really done this part before.

 

“I had thought my own intentions were clear. So why don’t you tell me, Iris; what exactly do  _ you _ think we’re building?”

 

She looked up at him with those beautiful brown eyes, biting her lip in that sinful way of hers. He could see the way her breathing sped up, her pulse jumping in her throat, making him frown. She was afraid. Was she afraid of him?

 

“I think that...we are building a committed, romantic relationship.” He felt a little giddy hearing her say the words, much like when her brother had called him her boyfriend, as ridiculous as it sounded. She took a deep, steadying breath, and continued. “You, me...and Barry.”

 

Len had often said that Iris surprised him, but this definitely took the cake. He froze for a moment, his eyebrows raised and his eyes wide. He thought he’d been subtle, hiding his decidedly conflicted feelings for the speedster and yet Iris had seen right through him. The way she always did. Perhaps he should have seen this coming. He tilted his head, gaze shifting from shocked to calculating. Now that he thought about it, it was obvious. Ever since Barry had found out about them, he’d been an inextricable part of their dynamic. No, that wasn’t true. Barry had been influencing their relationship from the get-go. His very existence had brought them together, and Len had lost count of how often Barry had been the core of their conversations or factored into a decision. Len’s conflicted feelings made much more sense now. What he’d felt for Barry had grown with his feelings for Iris. He’d done his best to ignore them to focus on Iris, never contemplating she might be harbouring something similar.

 

“That,” he said finally. “Is a very intriguing concept.” He watched her face intently, reading every minute shift in her expression. His response, one of guarded interest and not immediate rejection, had her relieved. “I had assumed your feelings towards Barry were decidedly...fraternal.”

 

“Despite what most people think, Barry and I were never really brother and sister because we were best friends first.” She seemed sad, something like regret in her eyes. “It just took me a while to see that myself.” It seemed like there was a story there.

 

“And what about Scarlet, hmm? You do realise this...proposition of yours requires the interest of a third party.”

 

“I’m pretty confident that third party is interested,” she answered with a smirk. “He’s kind of obvious. I was just too close to see it. It took my dad, of all people, to open my eyes.”

 

“Iris,” he said seriously, cupping her jaw in one hand and hating himself for what he was about to say. “If he is...what you want. You don’t have to...I can-”

 

“Len,” she cut him off harshly and mirrored his action. “This, right here, is what I want. I want quiet nights in, eating dinner and falling asleep watching TV. I want crazy nights out on the town watching you school idiots who think they can take you. I want everything that we have. I just want to share it with Barry too. But only if that’s what you two want as well.” 

 

“I do.” The words felt heavy, loaded with emotion and reverence. Len could not adequately express the magnitude of the feeling welling up inside him. He wanted to sweep her up into a whirlwind of affection. He wanted to throw her a parade so the world might see how incredible she was. Holy shit, he wanted to tell her that he loved her, the words battling for release at the back of his throat. Instead, he voiced his last reservation, preparing to leap off this cliff with her. “You’re right, though. No one will understand. You and I is one thing, but me and Barry? That’s a whole other ball game.”

 

“I know it won’t be easy. That’s why I asked if you were willing to fight for this. For us.”

 

A genuine smile spread across his face at her fierce devotion. “I can think of no better cause.” She actually squealed with happiness, leaping up into his arms to kiss him. He caught her easily, hoisting her thighs around his hips to better match her enthusiasm. Len hated the heat but he couldn’t help appreciating the hot press of her body against him, her smooth curves like heaven beneath his hands. He could never tire of her plush, pliant lips against his own, never failing to make his blood rush. He never knew just how much he missed her touch until her hands were on him, fingers clutching his back and raking his scalp as the touch of their tongues drew a glorious little moan from her. The sound made his knees weak and he leaned heavily against the kitchen counter. This woman would be the death of him. She moved to nip and nuzzle along his jawline and he found his voice, if not his faculties.

 

“I seem to, uh, recall, you made me d’dinner,” he managed, stuttering when she nipped his earlobe.

 

“It’ll keep.” she purred. “I had something a little more interesting in mind for your mouth.”

 

“Is that so?” he drawled into her skin, pressing kisses up her neck. “I guess I had better get to work.”

 

She giggled girlishly as he abruptly carried her out of the kitchen and down the hall, correctly guessing which door was her bedroom. He didn’t bother to turn on the lights, the light from the hallway being enough. He laid her out on the bed, enjoying the sight of her stretched out beneath him, eyes blown wide with lust, lips red and glistening. Her dress had ridden up, exposing her gorgeous legs and just a peek of her black lacy underwear. He shucked off his parka and crawled slowly up her body, placing little kisses to her skin and nipping at cloth as he made his way up. She got impatient, gripping his collar to drag him up to her level, moaning into his mouth as their hips ground together. Her eager fingers slipped under the hem of his shirt, pushing it up to reveal the scarred and tattooed skin of his torso. 

 

Old insecurities and trust issues flared. But her fingertips only caressed, they didn’t stuttered over the ugly raised skin, the remnants of a violent life. He swallowed back his nerves and leaned back  to pull the fabric over his head, exposing himself to the night air and her gaze. She sat up to press kisses to his ribs and pecs, her fingers tracing tattoos reverently. From this position he pulled her forward to straddle his lap, his hands gliding over thighs and hips to catch the fabric of her dress, sliding up along a trim waist and supple breasts and over her head to leave her clad in nothing but black lace.

 

She rolled her hips against his hardness and couldn’t hold back a groan. Her devilish smirk was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen and it was almost a shame to kiss it away. He let one hand drift up and palm her breast, thumb brushing against a peaked nipple through the lace. The touch elicited a moan so he repeated it, testing and experimenting to find what she liked. Eventually he pulled the lace out of the way to tease her with his tongue and teeth, chuckling when she clutched his head closer to her chest and using his fingers to tease her other nipple. He didn’t notice her nimble fingers working at his belt until they had slipped in and gripped him, the feel of her on him glorious and electrifying. He was already achingly hard and he savoured the feel of her strokes for a few moments before gently pushing her back down onto the bed.

 

He chuckled in the face of her whine of protest. “Patience,” he purred as he nipped and kissed his way down her body, “I believe you had something specific in mind for my mouth?” 

 

“Damn right,” she grinned and wiggled further up the bed to give him better access. “Time to put your money where your mouth is.” 

 

He smirked and caught the fabric of her underwear between his teeth, pulling it down to reveal the prize beneath, already glistening wet and ready to be tasted. One hand pulled her underwear the rest of the way down as he nuzzled her thighs, nipping and sucking at the tender flesh, teasing her as he painstakingly made his way to her centre. Finally, he dragged his tongue up her tender lips, feeling her body tremble beneath him with her gasp. With a smile, he got to work, drawing moans, sighs and expletives from Iris as he worked her into a frenzy. He thought he’d liked the feel of her fingers on his scalp before, but that was nothing compared to the scrape of her nails as she instinctively tried to clutch hair that was far to short. He knew she was getting close as her breathing grew ragged and her hips gave short, aborted thrusts into the pressure he supplied.

 

“Yes, there, yes, please, don’t stop, oh god, don’t you dare stop!” she moaned out in a lustful litany, increasing in volume and decreasing in coherency until her orgasm crashed over her. The sounds she made were obscene and Len had to stop and take a breath for a moment to calm himself down. He wanted to make this last. 

 

He stood and finally removed his jeans and boxers. Iris had the presence of mind to lean over grab a condom from her nightstand, practically throwing it at him.

 

“Someone’s eager,” he commented with a chuckle as he put it on.

 

“I think we’ve both waited long enough, don’t you?” she shot back, still sounding out of breath, her eyes raking appreciatively over all of him. She reached behind her back to unclip her bra and tossed it aside, leaving them both completely naked. Len growled low in his throat and got back on the bed, draping over her. She grinned wickedly at him and used her legs to flip them them. The strength and skill the move required made it even hotter. “My turn,” she insisted, lining them up and sinking down onto him. 

 

He hissed as he slid into her tight, wet, heat, reflexively gripping her hips tighter as the new sensation overwhelmed him. Iris took a moment to adjust herself, and he etched her blissful expression into his memory. The first roll of her hips was divine, sparks shooting through every nerve with each slide of her along his length. She was wild and ethereal, everything he didn’t deserve. His every touch was reverent, unbelieving that this exquisite creature might deign to care for him. 

 

He leaned up to suckle at her breasts, the change in angle making her gasp and speed up. The hot, electric pleasure grew between them until Len was almost at the edge. He needed to slow things down, wanting to get her off at least once more before he finished. It was easy to flip her onto her back from their position, pulling one of her knees high past his hip as he buried himself in her again, the new angle making her whimper. He kissed her deeply as he gave long, languid thrusts, finding the angle that had her shuddering and digging her nails into his back. She pushed up to meet each thrust, groaning when he refused to pick up speed, making him chuckle as he suckled at her collarbone. Slowly he drove her wild, hitting that spot again and again until she pushed him onto his back with a growl, her nails digging into the flesh of his pecs as she rode him in earnest.

 

He bit his lip and braced his feet, holding on as the exquisite sensations washed over him. Iris was entirely unselfconscious of her cries of pleasure as her climax built, her ragged moans the best kind of music to him. Expletives spilled out incoherently as she reached her peak and he let himself tumble after her, his hips bucking up and his head thrown back into the pillow. With a monumentally satisfied sigh, she flopped down onto the bed next to him, panting heavily.

 

He gave in to the whim to pull her close and she came happily, snuggling against his side, headless of the sweat cooling on their bodies. It felt right holding her there, blissfully sated. There really was only one thing missing. One person.

 

His stomach grumbled loudly in the silence. After a beat they both cracked up laughing.

 

“So how bout that dinner?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the seeds of the OT3 have officially been planted! WOOOOO!
> 
> Also I pretty sure this is the first smut I've ever posted on AO3. 
> 
> So excited for the next chapter, Lisa finally makes an appearance :)


	11. Golden Opportunity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lisa will not be ignored.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lisa's ringtone on Len's phone is 'Made in Gold' by Nova Rockafeller

_ 'Can't stop, won't stop, I made it on my own, take this fake shit and turn it into gold.' _

 

Iris groaned as the tinny, aggressive tune woke her. Blearily, her eyes blinked open to see Len leaning over the side of the bed and rummaging through the pile of clothes on the floor. She took a moment to enjoy the view, mesmerized by the shifting muscles of his back that made his tattoos look alive. Having finally located the offending device, Len leaned back on the pillows to answer it and Iris took the opportunity to shamelessly cuddle into his side.

 

“What?” he barked harshly down the line, a sharp contrast to the tender way his free arm wrapped around her.

 

“ _ Well good morning to you too,Lenny.” _ It was quiet enough and the words were loud enough that Iris heard the other woman clearly.

 

“What do you want, Lisa?” So it was his sister calling. It occurred to Iris that she really should meet Golden Glider at some point. 

 

_ “Aww, I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” _ Lisa teased, unable to appreciate her brother’s scowl.

 

“Nothing other than my sleep.”

 

“ _ Really? Because when Mick showed up this morning, looking like he’d been mauled by a vacuum cleaner I might add, he said the funniest thing.” _ Lisa’s voice was mild and sweet, yet Len tensed at the words. Iris frowned, rubbing a soothing hand over his chest.  _ “He said you were with your  _ **girlfriend** _.” _

 

“Well,” Len hesitated just a moment, taking a deep breath like he was steeling himself for battle. “He’s not wrong.”

 

_ “Since when do YOU have a **GIRLFRIEND**?!” _

 

Len sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Officially? Since yesterday.”

 

“ _ Lenny,”  _ Lisa’s voice turned soft, a touch of honest confusion and concern lacing through it. “ _You don’t_ do _  relationships.” _

 

“I made an exception.”

 

“ _ She must be pretty amazing, if she has you making it ‘official’.” _

 

Len glanced down at Iris, who was grinning impishly at him. “She is definitely one of a kind.”

 

“ _ I’m sure,”  _ Lisa purred, innuendo dripping from the speaker _. “I want to meet her.” _

 

__ “No.” “Yes!” Iris smiled innocently in the face of Len’s glare. “Come on, Len, it’s bound to happen eventually. I can’t believe we haven’t met before actually.”

 

“You don’t know my sister,” Len muttered darkly.

 

“Kind of my point.” She arched an eyebrow at him. “You’ve met my brother,” she pointed out.

 

_ “You’ve met her family? Wow, there really is a first for everything.”  _ Lisa exclaimed.

 

“He was concussed, it doesn’t count.”

 

“It counts.”  _ “It counts.” _ Both women answered in unison.

 

“And you wonder why I don’t want you to meet,” Len muttered darkly, rolling his eyes.

 

_ “Its cute how you think you can stop us,” _ Lisa drawled.

 

“Len,” Iris said seriously, leaning up on an elbow and meeting his eyes. “She’s important to you. That means how she feels about me is going to affect our relationship, whether we like it or not. It’s better that we get to know each other now, so we can work through any problems we might have, instead of making life more difficult further down the line.”

 

“ _ Listen to your girlfriend, Lenny,” _ Lisa chimed in through the phone.

 

He sighed dramatically and then addressed Lisa. “Fine, I’ll set something up. Not today, we have work to do. I’ll meet you at the safehouse in two hours.” Abruptly, he hung up on her happy exclamations. Iris rewarded him with a kiss.

 

“Seriously, my dad is gonna give us more than enough trouble. I’d rather have your sister on our side by the time he finds out.”

 

“I know,” he huffed, pulling her into his arms so she was lying on top of him. “I’m just not looking forward to the inevitable moment you two start ganging up on me.”

 

“Well, if we’re lucky, you’ll have Barry in your corner.”

 

“Not if he’s siding with you,” Len pointed out. “I don’t suppose you have a plan for getting Barry on board? I’ll admit, I’m a little stumped.” 

 

Iris bit her lip, simultaneously thinking and enjoying just laying there on top of him, skin to skin. It made her feel connected, physically and emotionally entwined. 

 

“We already laid a lot of the groundwork without realising,” she said slowly. “He’s a part of us, subconsciously, but if we come right out and ask, he’ll probably get spooked.”

 

“So we’re taking it slow then? Sneakily romancing him until he reaches the same conclusion we have?” One of Len’s hands idly rubbed up and down her back, making the smooth skin tingle delightfully. Iris snorted.

 

“We’re already basically dating him. He just needs a little more time to figure it out.”

* * *

  
  


Iris really shouldn’t have been surprised when a slender arm slipped into hers as she walked down the street later that day. A turn of her head revealed blonde accents in long brown curls and an eerily familiar smirk on glossy red lips.

 

“Lisa Snart, I presume?”

 

“You presume correctly.”

 

“I thought you and Len were working today?”

 

Lisa laughed, a sweet chiming sound as attractive as the rest of her. “He sent me to pick up some things. As if I can’t tell when he’s trying to keep me busy.”

 

“Well in that case, care to join me for coffee?”

 

“Why, Miss West, I would love to.”

 

A few minutes later, the pair were sitting opposite each other upstairs at Jitters, coffee in front of each of them and sizing each other up. Iris had the distinct impression that Lisa, like her brother, could see a lot more from just looking at a person than most. If that skill could be taught, she would have begged them to teach her.

 

“So,” Lisa finally drawled. “You’re the girlfriend.”

 

“So you’re the sister,” Iris responded in kind. 

 

“How long have you known my brother?” Lisa asked abruptly, a hardness to her gaze that reminded Iris just how dangerous the other woman was. She didn’t let that intimidate her.

 

“A little over a year.”

 

“How did you meet?”

 

“He’s a fan of my work.”

 

Lisa’s eyes lit up. “You’re the reporter!” She sounded gleeful. “The one who writes about the Flash.”

 

“That’s me, although I have, in fact, written about things other than the Flash.”

 

“I just think it’s sweet that Lenny found someone as obsessed with the Flash as he is. When he started reading your blog I actually said you were probably perfect for each other.” Lisa leaned forward onto her elbows, smiling sweetly. “Turns out I was right.”

 

“I’m not obsessed,” Iris scoffed. “I just have a special interest.”

 

“You sound exactly like him. It’s so cute, I can’t wait to see the two of you together.” Her eyes went from playful to hard again. “That being said, there are a few things I need to be sure you are absolutely clear about.” Subconsciously, Iris squared her shoulders, mentally bracing herself for what Lisa might have to say.

 

“Len doesn’t get close to people. Ever. I have  _ never _ known my brother to have a relationship that consisted of more than fucking the same person for more than a week. So I don’t know what you’re used to when it comes to relationships, but you’re gonna need to throw it out the window. He may try to act like he’s in control, but he is going to have no idea what he’s doing. You need to understand that and spell shit out for him, because chances are he’ll just assume the worst. And I can guarantee that there will be times where he’ll get frustrated and try to push you away because that’s how he’s used to dealing with things. But you can’t let him, because then he’ll just stew and do something stupid.” She paused for a moment, as fond of drama as her sibling. Her cool grey stare was unnervingly penetrating and unwavering. 

 

“My brother trusts you, which says a hell of a lot more about you than you probably realise. It also means that you have the power to break him. I know he’s already in deep, but if you aren’t fully committed to this relationship then you need to get up right now and walk out of our lives. Because I’ll be damned if I’ll just sit by and let some bitch break my brother’s heart and live to laugh about it.” The final sentence was delivered low and cold, dripping with menace and malicious intent. Lisa finished her speech and leaned back in her chair, calmly waiting for Iris to respond, her face impassive.

 

“Well,” Iris said after a moment to collect her thoughts, “can’t say I wasn’t expecting the shovel talk.” She looked Lisa dead in the eye. “I know you don’t know me, but I’m not the kind of girl who takes the risk of getting involved with a dangerous criminal so I can laugh about it later.”

 

“So you do know what you’re getting into,” Lisa commented, arching one perfect brow. “I had wondered.”

 

“I did my homework.”

 

“So then why take the risk at all?” Lisa asked, her forehead furrowed with honest curiosity.

 

“Because he’s worth it,” Iris answered simply, a soft smile curving her lips. “He plays a part for the rest of the world but I’ve seen the man he hides underneath. He is more than he thinks he is and maybe one day I’ll even be able to convince him of that.

Plus, he doesn’t coddle me, which is more than I can say for any other guy I’ve dated. He trusts me to make intelligent decisions and respects my choices, even if he doesn’t agree with them.”

 

“Damn,” Lisa said after a moment, sounding a little wistful, “I was kinda hoping I could hate you. I was looking forward to paying Lenny back for all the boys he’s chased away from me.”

 

Iris smiled at the other woman. “Sorry to disappoint.”

 

Lisa wrinkled her nose in the same adorable gesture Len did. “Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t trust you. But I can’t really be disappointed, you’re kind of exactly what he needs.”

 

Iris hummed, wondering what Lisa might think if she knew Iris and Len intended to add Barry to their relationship. “We’re a little unconventional, but we’re making it work.”

 

“Oh, I bet you are,” Lisa purred slyly, looking pointedly at Iris’ collar. Iris blushed a little as she hiked it up, once more hiding the impressive hickey that Len had left on her collarbone. 

 

“What you said earlier,” Iris hastily changed the subject, not exactly looking to discuss her sexlife with her boyfriend’s little sister. “About Len and relationships?”

 

“What do you wanna know?” Lisa asked indulgently, lounging comfortably as she sipped her coffee.

 

“Has he really never...been serious about someone before?” Iris asked a little hesitantly, unsure if this was something she should really be asking Lisa. The thief sighed and put her cup down.

 

“You have to understand,” Lisa began, “when we were kids, Lenny was too busy looking out for me to really notice anybody else. By the time he realised I could take care of myself, we’d both learned that trusting people in our line of work was just stupid. There have been people who could have maybe become something, but he never stuck around long enough to find out.” Lisa quirked a brow at her. “You must be stubborn.” 

 

Iris laughed. “I’m persistent. It’s in my job description.”

 

“Good, because Lenny  _ is _ stubborn.”

 

“I’ve noticed,” Iris responded dryly. “He just needs the right incentive sometimes.”

 

“Clearly you already have a good idea on how to handle him.”

 

“I’m learning,” Iris admitted with a shrug. She gave Lisa a contemplative look. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the deal with you and Cisco?”

 

“You know Cisco?” Lisa asked, her eyes widening a little in surprise.

 

“Yeah, I’ve known him a couple of years now.”

 

“Huh, small world.” Lisa’s face softened a little and Iris was starkly reminded that this formidable, intimidating woman was not much older than her. “Cisco is...different. It’s a nice change from what I’m used to.” She trailed off.

 

“But it’s complicated?” Iris guessed.

 

“That’s one way of putting it,” Lisa acquiesced, sighing dramatically. Iris drummed her fingers on the table for a second.

 

“How’s your singing voice?” she asked suddenly. Lisa frowned suspiciously at her.

 

“Adequate,” she admitted slowly. “Why?”

 

Iris smiled devilishly at her. “You should come to karaoke night.”

 

“Karaoke?” Lisa looked rather unconvinced.

 

“Yeah, Cisco makes sure we do it at least once a month. Personally, I think he just likes to show off,” Iris commented casually, internally noting the way Lisa’s eyes sparked at the information. “The crowd always goes wild when he and my best friend do duets.”

 

“Tell me, Iris,” Lisa requested, leaning forward onto the table with a decidedly conspiratorial glint in her eyes. “Have you ever heard Lenny sing?”

  
“Can’t say that I have,” Iris replied, leaning forward herself. Lisa’s answering smile was positively wicked, and Iris got the distinct impression she and Golden Glider were going to get along just fine. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Iris, you have a plan? That's adorable.
> 
> I love Lisa, but she was so hard to write this chapter.


	12. Stolen Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry is a little lost in the dark

Barry couldn’t stop thinking about it. Ever since Joe had said the words, had put that impossible little idea in his head, he couldn’t escape it. He’d loved Iris for so long that idea of weaving someone else into that should have been preposterous. And yet he found his idle daydreams of ‘maybe someday’ inevitably centred around not just Iris, but Len as well. 

 

He hated it, he didn’t want to contemplate how it might feel to wake up snuggled between them, to look into icy blue eyes while sliding his hands over smooth dusky skin. He didn’t want to remember how good it felt to get a genuine smile out of Len, or how cute it was when Iris giggled at Len’s puns. He didn’t want to think about how Len had been his first choice to turn to when Iris was in danger, or how utterly relieved he’d been when both of them had made it back unharmed. He didn’t want the constant reminder that he always wanted exactly what he couldn’t have because the pain of it was like ice around his heart.

 

But now the idea was there and he couldn’t escape it no matter how fast he ran. He couldn’t ignore his own feelings anymore, as twisted and conflicted as they were. Barry was in love with both of them and had absolutely no chance with either of them.

 

The worst part was that there was absolutely no one he could talk to about it. Being torn between two people was one thing, but he doubted any of his friends would really understand how his biggest problem was that he could stop imagining the two of them together. He was pretty sure that wasn’t how these things were supposed to go. He should be torn, not thinking about the morning he found Len in Iris’ kitchen. How, for just a moment, he’d stepped into a fantasy where Len made them all breakfast while Barry and Iris caught a couple extra minutes of sleep, where he’d wake them both with coffee and kisses, only for Iris and Barry to drag him back down into the bed for more.

 

“Barry? Did you hear me?” Cisco’s voice sent Barry tumbling out of his thoughts.

 

“Uh, sorry Cisco, I spaced out for a second there. What’d you say?”

 

“I said, we got an unexplained power outage uptown and my reverse infra-red program just pinged,” Cisco repeated, clearly annoyed. “Looks like your good friend Captain Cold is once again relieving Central City of its valuables.”

 

“Not today, he’s not,” Barry muttered and sped off. Maybe this would help. Hopefully seeing Captain Cold in action would be enough to curb Barry’s wayward feelings. A quick search of the neighbourhood found the iced up powerboxes and from there Barry easily figured out which mansion Len was targeting. He found him in front of a wall safe, applying his cold gun to the lock mechanism.

 

“Are we really gonna do this old song and dance?” Barry asked as he flashed into the room. Len’s head turned to look at him and fixed him with a delighted smirk.

 

“Why not? It’s my favourite.” Len drawled. The safe door opened with a loud crack. “And they’re playing our song.” 

 

It shouldn’t feel this good, Barry thought to himself as he rushed forward. They’re banter was easy, the dance of dodging cold-blasts was smooth and familiar. It was actually fun, knowing that the stakes weren’t life and death the way they usually were these days. Len wasn’t really trying to hurt him. He was playing with him, really, almost like…

 

Barry dodged around a blast to pin Len against the wall. “Trying to distract me?”

 

Len smirked unashamedly at him. “As enjoyable a dance-partner as you are, our little games aren’t always that lucrative for me.”

 

“Mick and Lisa?” Barry guessed.

 

“Should be finishing up about now.”

 

“Where?”

 

“That would be telling. I’m not here to make it easy for you.”

 

“No, you’re here to rob people. I’m not gonna let you get away with that.”

 

Len arched an eyebrow. “Do you know these people?”

 

“No,” Barry answered, frowning.

 

“Then what do you care? Their insurance will more than cover anything I take, there’s plenty of clear evidence there was a break in.” He looked pointedly at the patches of ice around the room. “They’ll have them replaced within a week, that’s half the point of robbing rich people.”

 

“So you can rob them again?”

 

“Precisely.” Len looked him up and down, apparently taking note of how Barry was still pressing him against the wall. Barry himself hadn’t even realised he was still doing it. “My, my, Scarlet, this is really getting to be a habit with you.” Barry scowled, hating the way his cheeks blushed and his heart raced.

 

“Maybe I’m just not stupid enough to let you slip away.”

 

“Oh really?” Len teased, and their faces were so close Barry could feel the other man’s breath on his lips. “Careful, saying things like that could give a man ideas.”

 

“Ideas?” Barry was surprised by how breathless he sounded, and he knew he should put some space between them but something about Len just kept drawing him in. The older man grinned, and Barry had the distinct feeling he’d just stepped into a trap.

 

“Like this.” That was all the warning he got before Len was kissing him, the hot, firm press of his lips completely destroying any chance of coherent thought. He was precise and unrelenting, playing Barry's mouth like an instrument before he even knew what was happening. Barry’s eyes went wide, his fists tightening in a reflex that just pulled Len closer. Len's left hand slid over Barry's hip and up his back, leaving a trail of sparking nerves in it's wake. Barry felt himself get swept away by the sensations, the heat of their bodies pressed together, the smooth slide if his tongue and god, when had Barry started kissing him back?

 

When Len finally pulled back, Barry just stood there, panting lightly and slack-jawed, blinking slowly as he tried to comprehend what had just happened. Len grinned at him like the cat that got the cream, or in this case, the speedster. Barry couldn’t keep his eyes from focusing on those soft, pink lips, now glistening with the evidence of their kiss.

 

“I told you, you’d know when I was playing dirty.” The seductive purr sent a jolt through Barry, and the sudden whir of the cold gun was the only reason Barry didn’t do something embarrassing. The shock of cold hitting his feet jarred him into finally letting go of Len’s parka. Instinctively, he tried to jerk back but his feet were firmly frozen to the expensive flooring. The smirking thief easily slipped away from the now immobilised hero, snatching a velvet bag from the safe as he passed it.

  
“Thanks for the dance, Red!” the thief called as he dashed out the door. Barry just gaped after him, shell-shocked. It was the sound of Cisco's panic in his ears and the uncomfortable heat of his suit’s thermo-threading activating that finally got Barry to move. He kicked into gear, ignoring Cisco on the comms, but Len was long gone by now. Barry stood in the middle of the street, alone except for the cool night air, and lightly traced his lips, feeling the ghost of the other man’s touch. Suddenly, Joe’s ludicrous suggestion from the other night didn’t seem so impossible.

* * *

 

Barry had to wonder if maybe Len intended to torture him on purpose. Before, it had all been nothing but wishful thinking. Now, Barry had the glorious sense memory of their impromptu make-out session to fuel his ridiculous hopes. Whatever chance he’d had of forgetting his inconvenient crush had been decimated and now he seemed to devote the majority of his waking hours trying to figure out Len’s motivations. The thief had definitely been playing dirty, but was that all it was? After all, the kiss had been passionate and lasted quite a while. Was it simply physical then? That didn’t seem right, Len was frustratingly handsome, he could have anyone he wanted. So did he really want Barry? If anyone, Barry would have thought Len would pursue Iris. He’s seen how much Len cared about her in his eyes, looking at her the way Eddie had, the way Barry did. And Iris wasn’t blind, she definitely would have noticed how attractive Len was. So why the hell was Len planning elaborate diversions just so he could kiss Barry?

Barry shook his head to clear his thoughts, trying in vain to focus on the chemical analysis he was running. His thoughts just kept running in circles and it was doing nothing but frustrate him further. The late afternoon sun was shining through the windows of his lab, gently warming him, the room quiet save for the low hum of the centrifuge in the corner. There was nothing to distract him from his own imaginings, his analysis being too straightforward to keep his whole mind occupied. 

The knock at the door was a welcome distraction. Barry’s head jerked up, a smile already on his lips.

“Oh, hey Iris!” Barry felt heat in his cheeks and tried to tamp down on the blush. It wasn’t as if Iris could read his mind, couldn’t know about the beautiful thief he'd been obsessing over.

“Hey Barr!” she responded cheerfully, gliding into his lab. Barry had never known anyone who could own a room just by being in it the way Iris could. “I finished work early, figured we could grab an early dinner before the movie?”

“Movie?” Barry said quizzically, trying to think what she could be referring to. 

“Deadpool?” She pinned him with a fondly exasperated look. “Remember?” Now he did. He was supposed to have seen it with Cisco and Caitlin the day it came out, but got called into work unexpectedly. He’d been complaining about that fact extensively to Iris and Len last week when she had suggested the three of them go together. Len had agreed, if only to shut him up.

“I..had forgotten about that,” Barry admitted, mortified at the thought of seeing Len again after their kiss. Iris looked a little concerned at his less than ecstatic response. 

“Everything ok? Don’t tell me you made other plans.”

“No, no, no plans,” Barry reassured her hastily, scrambling to think of a plausible reason for his hesitance.. “Just... kinda can’t believe I’m going to go and watch a superhero movie with my nemesis.”

“Is he really your nemesis? At this point he’s, like, your frienemy at most.” Iris leaned against his desk, frowning a little at Barry’s words.

“I guess? I mean, we’re really only enemies when we’re, you know, working.”

“Yeah, how do you guys even make that work? You are kind of friends now, right?” Iris appeared to be only mildly interested, but she had that spark in her eyes that she got when she was looking for something. It was disconcerting and Barry was uneasily suspicious. 

“Yeah, kind of,” he answered with a shrug, feigning nonchalance. “We haven’t really talked about it. As long as we stick to our deal, it works.”

“Maybe you guys could talk about it tonight?” she suggested innocently.

“Maybe,” Barry hedged, giving a half-shrug as he finished packing up his desk. “You don’t think it’ll be weird? Negotiating the terms of our friendship?”

“Probably, but I think if you’re serious about having a relationship with him-” A beaker went flying at her choice of words, forcing Barry to catch it at super-speed before it shattered. “-outside of your antagonistic one, it’s important to have clear boundaries...” She trailed off as her brain finally caught up to the sudden flurry of movement. “Barry?”

“Sorry, knocked over a beaker,” he explained sheepishly. “Ahh, you were saying?”

“Why are you blushing?” There was a knowing, impish tilt to her lips.

“It’s warm in here,” Barry tried, although he knew it was futile. 

“Really? Because I’m feeling the cold, myself.” That innocent sentence conjured decidedly sinful images in Barry’s mind. He tried not to squirm under her piercing gaze. “Barry...do you like him?”

Barry hid his face in his hands, utterly mortified. Of course Iris figured it out, she’d been able to read him like a book since they were teenagers. At least she wasn’t going to lecture him on the inappropriate nature of his attachment, considering she'd been advocating their friendship a minute ago. He heard her chuckle in the face of his lack of denial.

“It’s Dean Colton all over again.”

“But…” His head jerked out of his hands, pinning Iris with a shocked stare. “That would mean you...you too?” Iris tilted her head guiltily in acquiescence. “Oh my god, it really is Dean Colton all over again,” he groaned.

Iris laughed. “Does that mean you two have been making out behind the gym?” she joked.

“Mansion,” Barry muttered. Iris’ smile dropped.

“What?”

“We made out in a mansion. Although, to be fair, he only did that to distract me.” He saw the unimpressed look on Iris’ face and heard her mutter something that sounded potentially murderous. “And you’re mad, I’m sorry!” he apologised swiftly. “I know you two are close, I didn’t think, well, I didn’t know-”

“Barry!” She hushed him with a finger on his lips that he went a little cross-eyed trying to track. “I’m not angry at you.” 

“You’re not?” he asked once she’d removed her hand.

“Not at you and not for the reasons you think. Don’t worry, it’ll all work out.” The way she said it was oddly serene and he suspected she knew something he didn’t. “Now, I believe there is a movie, dinner and a thief waiting for us.” 

  
“OK, yeah, we should go,” Barry said, grabbing his things and feeling not OK at all. If this conversation was anything to go by, his problem had just gone from bad to worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor, confused Barry. He'll get there.
> 
> Goddamnit Len, you had a plan! 
> 
> Also, I believe this is their first actually planned date! (not that Barry is aware of that)


	13. Bicker and a movie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry is awkward and Len gets a frosty reception

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit shorter than the other, I just wanted to resolve some stuff before we get into the meet of the next part.

Len would be lying if he said he hadn’t expected Barry to be an adorable ball of awkwardness the next time he saw him. He was fairly sure that Barry hadn’t stopped blushing since they’d met up outside the theatre. What he hadn’t anticipated was a rather frosty reception from Iris, who made a point of keeping Barry physically between them. This didn’t seem to help Barry relax at all, going by the accusing looks he shot her, which she ignored. She barely addressed Len unless she had to. It took a while for him to realise that the knot in his stomach was dread, because by the looks of things, he was in trouble. A scowl rested on his face as they took their seats in the theatre. He hadn’t needed anyone’s approval in thirty years, and the idea that he now sought Iris’ made him uncomfortable. Rationally, he had expected this, but it was still going to take some getting used to.

 

“Everything OK, Len?” Barry asked, having noticed Len’s unhappy expression.

 

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Len responded innocently, although it was Iris he was looking at as he said it. She just raised one eyebrow at him.

 

The film began, and Len was grateful he’d already seen it as he was able to spend his time watching Barry and Iris instead. He didn’t often get the chance to observe them when they weren’t watching him. Barry was absolutely enraptured, his face a shifting spectrum of emotional responses to the presented material. Occasionally, he’d mutter something about the comics that Len couldn’t really hear. Iris was equally engrossed, watching with the same look of intrigue she wore during an interview. He let himself get lost watching them, these two beautiful people who were so generous, willing to give so much of themselves for the sake of others. To him, that was just foolish. There was always someone who would take advantage, who would willingly ruin a thing of beauty just to get what they want. It made Len feel oddly protective, and he knew he would stand between them and anyone who might attempt to take advantage of them.

 

He learned that day that Barry had a tendency to grip the armrest during tense moments. He learned this because Barry wound up clutching Len’s arm instead since he was using the armrest himself. His fingers had been wrapped around Len’s wrist for a half a minute before he realised what he was doing and let go like he’d been shocked. Len had just raised a brow at his flustered antics and otherwise didn’t react. Each time it happened, it took Barry longer and longer to realise what he was doing, until by the film’s climax Barry was entirely unaware he was clutching Len’s hand tightly. Barry’s other hand was in Iris’, and for a moment they shared a look over him, smirking triumphantly. Until Iris remembered she was angry with him, and went back to ignoring him. 

 

The film ended, and Barry was so busy gushing about it that he forgot to be embarrassed he’d been holding Len’s hand through most of the last quarter. Seeing Barry ramble excitedly about the movie and the comics was even more adorable than seeing him flustered. Len found himself smiling fondly at him, an expression shared by Iris. 

 

“Thank you guys, for coming to see this with me,” Barry said sincerely as they stepped out into the night and headed down the street.

 

“Our pleasure,” Len purred, throwing a touch of suggestion into his voice that had Barry scarlet and Iris’ eyes sparking with heat. The pair of them were the most enticing thing he’d seen in his life. 

 

“Oh, ah, well, I’m glad you liked it. The movie, I mean,” Barry managed to stutter out and almost tripped over his own feet as he walked.

 

“Personally, I enjoyed your reactions more.” Idly, Len wondered if it was possible for someone to pass out from blushing too much, because Barry was putting in a valiant effort. Iris just let him suffer, eyes sparkling with amusement at Len’s teasing. 

 

“Well, um, it’s getting late. I should run, I’ve, ah, got an early start tomorrow, so, I’ll see you?”

 

“You sure, Barry?” Iris asked, frowning. “I was thinking we could go get dessert or something?”

 

“You two go on, I….” His eyes roved over them, taking in Iris’ hopeful expression and Len calmly waiting to see what he’d do. He looked conflicted and regretful. “I gotta go. But thank you for this, I had fun. Goodnight!” In a flash, he was gone. The instant he was gone, Iris levelled Len with an unimpressed scowl and smacked his shoulder.

 

“What was that for?” he grumbled.

 

“I can’t believe you!” she hissed, “You kissed him?”

 

“Wait, that’s what you’re mad about?” In retrospect, he really probably should have at least mentioned that to her.

 

“Of course I’m mad about it! What happened to the plan? I distinctly recall it involved the word ‘subtle’. Sticking your tongue in his mouth is not subtle! Now he’s freaking out!” 

 

“And here I thought the flailing just came naturally to him.”

 

“Dammit, Len, I’m serious! What the hell were you thinking?”

 

Len sighed heavily. “I needed to be sure.”

 

“Sure of what?” Iris asked, brows furrowed.

 

“That he really was interested,” Len admitted quietly.  

 

“But we already established that.”

 

“You were sure that you were right. It’s not that I doubted your interpretation of the situation, I just...needed to see the evidence for myself.” It was easy for Iris to accept that Barry was in love with them, she’d known him her whole life. For Len, the idea that both of these incredible people might want him was a lot harder to accept. Flirting and defending Len’s character were one thing, actually being interested in him was entirely another. The possibility that Iris might be wrong about Barry had gnawed at Len, and when the speedster had presented the opportunity to test the theory, Len had seized it.

 

“I...guess I can understand that.” Her hand reached out and snagged his, warm and comforting in a way physical contact hadn’t been for him in a long time. He squeezed her hand in response, savouring the soft smile that earned him. “I just wish you’d talked to me about it. If I’d known you felt that way, we could have figured something else out. We’re a team now, we need to be able to rely on each other.”

 

“I know.” He didn’t look at her, but squeezed the hand he was holding tighter, like a lifeline. “But that sort of thing...doesn’t come easy to me.”

 

“Hey,” she said softly, stepping in front of him to make him stop walking. She cradled his face in her free hand, forcing him to look at her. “I never expected this to be easy. There are things we both need to work on.” He cocked an eyebrow, finding it hard to believe there was anything she needed to work on. She was the emotionally healthy on in their relationship, after all. “Like, I need to remember that the silent treatment won’t work on your stubborn ass.”

 

He snorted softly. “Is that what that was?”

 

She rolled her eyes, but smiled. “Yeah, thank you for proving my point.” She grew serious again. “I know this is kind of new territory for you, but this will only work if you talk to me.”

 

He held her in the circle of his arms, letting the feel of her drown out his uncertainties. “I think I can handle that.” He kissed her softly, enjoying the sweet taste of affection.

 

“That’s all I ask,” she said with a smile. “And I really can’t blame you. He’s a lot more confident when he’s the Flash. It’s a good look.”

 

“It has always been something of a test to resist kissing him when he’s pressing me up against a wall in that tight red get-up.”

 

Her eyebrows for a second but then she was giving him a sultry smirk. “So, you like the red leather, huh?” 

 

“It doesn’t leave much to the imagination,” he pointed out in a low drawl, pulling her a little tighter against him. “You can’t honestly tell me you hadn’t noticed?”

 

She chuckled, low and throaty as her hands slid to his neck. “Oh, I definitely noticed. Occasionally imagined peeling him out of it.”

 

“Can’t say I haven’t either. Kind of like I’m imagining peeling you out of those jeans,” he whispered into her ear, punctuating the sentence with a nip to her earlobe that made her gasp.

 

“That sounds like a promise to me, Mr Snart,” Iris purred.

  
“And I always keep my promises, Miss West,” he responded in kind, capturing her lips in a burning kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost there folks!   
> Next chapter will be up soon because its technically already done, I have seriously waited ten chapters to be able to post this next one.  
> Seriously, there's like 3-4 chapters to go now, plus maybe an epilogue. It looks like I may actually manage to complete one of my WIPs!


	14. The Sound of Sirens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A night of fun and revelry takes a serious turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have LITERALLY waited 9 fucking chapters to be able to post this! This was originally supposed to be chapter 5. I have every intention of shouting FUCKING FINALLY the second I hit post.  
> Also, the line break is to signify a POV change, since this was originally going to be split in two.  
> It's all been leading up to this.
> 
> Enjoy

Lisa’s birthday came as a welcome distraction from Len’s suddenly complicated lovelife. 

 

Mick and Shawna were with them tonight. Shawna had approached him a little while ago, needing work. She’d been reluctant to help in any heists, but had become invaluable to them as a medic. Unsurprisingly, she had hit it off with Lisa immediately. Mick was just happy to be out drinking, although they’d left him at the last bar when he’d run into an old friend. Len scowled deeply when Lisa suggested a karaoke bar as their next destination that Shawna delightedly exclaimed was her favourite. He wasn’t particularly interested in having his eardrums murdered, but Lisa’s eyes had lit up at the idea of karaoke, and on her birthday he really couldn’t deny her anything.

 

Thankfully, the voice drifting out the door upon their arrival was smooth, perfectly in tune and oddly familiar. 

 

_ Darling, open your eyes, let me show the light, you may never find a love that’s right _

 

Lisa’s eyes lit up in absolute delight when she caught sight of Cisco Ramon grooving his way through an eighties ballad. Even Len had to admit he sounded good. Len shook his head at Lisa’s smitten expression and scanned the tables. If Cisco was here, it was likely the rest of Team Flash was too. He spotted Caitlin Snow chatting with Linda, looking well into her cups. There was no sign of Barry nor Iris. Len couldn’t tell if the clench in his gut was relief or disappointment. Suddenly feeling desperately thirsty, he made his way over to the bar, fingers tapping in time to the music as he waited for the bartender to finish mixing for another customer. 

 

His eyes wandered back to the stage, where it was obvious Cisco had spotted Lisa, who was loitering in the shadows with Shawna. His voice didn’t so much as hitch, yet it was clear he was torn between panicking and singing  _ to _ her. The poor kid’s acrobatic expressions were endlessly entertaining, especially when he noticed Len was there too. Len sent him a glare just to watch him pale.

 

The bartender came to take his order, so Len turned away, listening as Cisco finished his song. He was watching the bartender mix Lisa’s cocktail when the opening bars of the next song began, a duet he vaguely recalled. The singer began the first verse. 

 

_ He said I’m worth it, his one desire _

 

He spun, sure he’d heard wrong. But there was Iris, looking at him with that devilish smile from on stage. She was alone though, singing both parts. He watched, mesmerised by her melodious voice and the sinful way she swayed to the music. He failed to notice someone approaching the stage until a hand snatched the second mic from its stand as a second singer stepped on stage for the second verse.

 

_ I trusted him but when I followed you, I saw you together _

 

Len scowled at his sister’s smug smirk, noticing how Iris was entirely unsurprised that Lisa had joined her. They had planned this. He turned back to the bartender to add to his order. Someone moved up to his side and he was unsurprised to see it was Cisco.

 

“I see you introduced Iris and Lisa.” The tech genius was going for casual, but Len could see how tightly wound he was.

 

“Actually, as far as I knew, they’d never met,” Len corrected him, dumping a shot down in front of the startled engineer. “Here,” he said, downing his own shot. “You're gonna need it.” The engineer looked skeptically at the shot for a moment, then shrugged and downed it.

 

“Dios mio!” Cisco gasped. Len chuckled at his expression. He looked back at the stage, where Iris and Lisa appeared to be having the time of their lives. A warmth washed over him that had nothing to do with alcohol. He’d been a little nervous about their inevitable meeting, stalling it as much as he could, apparently in vain. He couldn’t help smirking when Iris shot him a wink.

 

“Seems Scarlet made himself scarce,” Len couldn’t help but note.

 

“Yeah, he’s technically on call tonight. He should be back later.” Len gathered the three glasses of his initial order as Lisa and Iris finished their duet. Suddenly, Cisco gasped. “Oh no.”

 

“What?” His head swung around to instantly survey the room, looking for the danger.

 

“Caitlin saw Shawna,” was all Cisco said before he was making a beeline across the room, where Dr Snow was babbling at a completely shocked Shawna. Linda had followed her and looked entirely confused by her emotional outburst. Len followed right behind, wondering what the hell was going on. It became clear when Caitlin’s profuse apologies reached his ears. She was kneeling in front of Shawna’s chair, practically crying.

 

“...we should never have listened to him, it’s so clear now how he manipulated us, but that’s no excuse and you suffered ‘cause I didn’t have the guts to stand up to him and, and of all of them you deserved it the least!” Shawna was looking a little wild-eyed, clearly having no idea how to handle the situation.

 

“Hey!” she finally managed to stop Caitlin’s endless apologies. “It...it means a lot, that you apologised. I’m not saying I forgive you, because those were honestly the worst weeks of my life. But...I am sorry I tried to shoot you.”

 

“It’s ok, I totally understand, I would’ve shot me too.”

 

“Good talk ladies!” Cisco interjected, once he was close enough to intervene. He gently gripped Caitlin’s shoulders and guided her to a chair on the other side of the table. Len placed Lisa and Shawna’s drinks down and dropped into an available chair. “Why don’t we keep a one person minimum between you two, hmm?” Caitlin nodded meekly and hiccupped. Cisco turned his attention to the pair who had just got off stage. “So, uh hi? That was awesome. Nice to see you Lisa, looking flawless as usual.” 

 

“Why thank you, Cisco,” Lisa purred, stepping up to him. “You’ve been holding out on me. Smart, cute  _ and _ an amazing singer?”

 

“We all have our talents,” Cisco replied smoothly with a grin, making Lisa’s coy smirk widen.

 

“Oh look, I need another drink,” Linda muttered, rolling her eyes at the flirtatious display. She made the effort to pass Iris on her way to the bar, whispering something in her ear. Iris just rolled her eyes as her friend walked away, moving to sit next to Len. 

 

“I can’t believe Lisa actually managed to get you to come here. And you call me surprising.”

 

“I’d hate to bore you.” He schooled his expression, wanting to grin like a fool and managing an amused smirk. “Also, one does not simply say no to Lisa on her birthday.” She nodded sagely and then scrunched her nose adorably at him. 

 

“Was that a Lord of the Rings reference?” He chortled at her expression, surprised she’d caught it at all.

 

“I see you two took matters into your own hands,” Len commented.

 

Iris snorted. “Lisa came to see me the  _ day _ she found out. I’m a little surprised you let her out of your sight at all.”

 

“It was preferable to the incessant questions,” he grumbled, eyeing his little sister with remembered annoyance. 

 

Cisco and Lisa seemed to have fallen into their own little world, but Caitlin was looking at Len and Iris now, surprisingly shrewdly. She and Iris shared what seemed to be a series of significant looks, apparently having an entire conversation with their eyebrows. Len elected to ignore it. Shawna grabbed for her drink, taking a big gulp and Len took one of his own. Lisa had gotten her hands on the song list, and she and Cisco were giggling together in a rather sinister fashion. His fears were confirmed when Lisa looked at him, an evil look in her eye.

 

“No,” he stated flatly before she could speak. Lisa just gave him a cheshire grin. 

 

“Come on Lenny. It’s my birthday.” He felt himself cave.

 

“I get to pick.”

 

“Too late. I already did. Now get up there!” She shoved him bodily out of his seat. He scowled at her and straightened his leather jacket. He made it onto the stage and glared at the audience in general.

 

“I want it on record this wasn’t my choice.” He was muttering, but the mic picked it up clearly. He saw the song choice and groaned. He was never singing along to the radio when Lisa was present ever again. Sighing deeply, he gripped the mic and began to sing.

 

_ What would I do without your smart mouth, drawing me in and you kicking me out? _

 

His eyes had closed when he started, but he opened them now, automatically seeking out their table. It was hard to see under the lights, but he made out Iris, her eyes wide and jaw slack. He knew he was a good singer, but she looked spellbound.

 

_ My head’s underwater, but I’m feelin’ fine...You’re crazy and I’m outta my mind _

 

There was movement near the door, and Len clearly saw as Barry entered the bar, stuttering to a halt when he saw Len on stage. He saw the play of surprise, fear and then finally wonder as Barry processed what was happening in front of him.

 

_ You’re my downfall, you’re my muse, my worst distraction, my rhythm and blues _

 

The words gained new meaning, became more than the sweet words of a distant songwriter. It felt sickeningly like a confession, every lyric woven with a small truth. 

 

_ You’re my end and my beginning, even when I lose I’m winning. _

 

He wanted to hate Lisa in this moment. The way those two were looking at him made him feel utterly destroyed and exposed, vulnerable in a way he’d never allowed himself to be. He wanted to punch himself for his weakness and he wanted to run away and hide from the hope they gave him.

 

_ Cards on the table, we’re both showing hearts, risking it all though it’s hard _

 

This felt like an exercise in torture. Physical pain he could handle, but he’d spent his life keeping people at arm’s length. Somehow these two had managed to worm their way past his defenses, breaking them down with faith and understanding. He wanted to scream at them that they were wrong, that they should get as far away from him as possible before they got hurt. He wasn’t worth the risk.

 

_ Because all of me loves all of you, all your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections _

 

Worst of all, they made him want it, made him willing to open up and be vulnerable. He wanted everything they had to give and would give them anything they asked. Under their reverent gaze, he serenaded them with the truth he couldn’t bring himself to say. Knowing and accepting that any day it could all go up in flames.

 

_ I give you all of me...and you give me all of you... _

 

Finally, it was over. 

 

The bar erupted with applause, but Len didn’t care, too distracted by the awestruck grins on Iris and Barry’s faces as they clapped. Iris got up out of her seat as Len approached the table and Barry finally started making his way towards them from the doorway. Iris apparently didn’t notice, or maybe didn’t care, because the instant Len was in reach, she pulled him into a heated kiss. Whistles and catcalls started up as the applause died down. From the corner of his eye, Len saw Barry stop in his tracks, shock on his face.

 

Iris pulled back, drawing Len’s focus. “I thought Lisa was exaggerating when she said you had pipes of gold, but she was not wrong.”

 

“Now who’s exaggerating?” he deflected, trying to hide how pleased he was at her praise. He leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “You should look around.”

 

She frowned, but did so, lighting up when she spotted the speedster. “Barry! You made it.”

 

“Yeah, I just needed to help out with a couple routine tests,” he answered, but his eyes were boring into Len, an angry fire in them. He stepped forward abruptly, snapping, “We need to talk, alone,” as he gripped Len’s arm and pulled him towards the back door. Len managed to share a concerned look with Iris before he was dragged out the door and shoved into the alleyway behind the bar.

 

“You really do love to manhandle me don’t you?” Len drawled as he straightened his jacket. “Not that I’m adverse to a little manhandling.”

 

“See that, right there, it needs to stop!” Barry spat as he pointed an accusing finger at Len. “How can you do that to her? How can you flirt with me, and kiss me, when I KNOW you two have something going on!”

 

“Calm down, Scarlet,” Len began, but Barry wasn’t interested in hearing it.

 

“No I will not calm down!” Barry yelled, getting in Len’s face. “Not over this because Iris deserves better! I thought, no, I  _ know _ you're better than this,” he jabbed Len roughly in the chest, “I know how you feel about two-timing bastards! So you better have a damn good explanation for why you're pulling this crap!”

 

Len blinked in the face of his tirade, pleasantly surprised that Barry remembered that random little detail about him. He sighed, knowing it was time to lay their cards on the table or risk damaging this whole thing beyond repair.

 

“It’s not two-timing.”

 

“Why, because you two aren't officially dating? That's-”

 

“We are, actually,” Len cut him off. Barry looked stunned for a moment, then hurt and angry all over again.

 

“So you’re together. How the hell is kissing me not two-timing?”

 

“It’s not cheating if he has permission.” Both heads whipped around at the sound of Iris’ voice.

 

“Oh thank god,” Len muttered as Iris stood between them.

 

“I don’t understand…” Barry murmured, looking back and forth between them, thrown by the sudden turn of events.

 

“Barry,” Iris began, “When I was with Eddie, he said something to me that didn’t make sense to me at the time. I realise now, that he was right. He saw something I’d been blind to my whole life.” She took a deep breath, reaching out to take Barry’s hand in hers. “He said that from the start, there had always been three people in our relationship; me, him and you.” Barry was slack-jawed, but she soldiered on. “He was right, Barry. You have been a part of every relationship I’ve ever had, because I realise now, you’re a part of me.” She raised the hand she held to her heart. “These last few weeks with Len helped me to finally see that.” The thief in question slipped an arm around her waist, a silent show of solidarity. His eyes never left Barry’s face, gauging his reaction. “You became a part of  _ us _ , because whether he’ll say it out loud or not, Len cares about you as much as I do.” 

 

Len rolled his eyes, but tilted his head in acquiescence. 

 

“You...both?” Barry looked like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but the tentative hope was clear in his voice.

 

Iris nodded, laying her final cards on the table. “I’ve loved you since we were kids, it just took me a lot longer to realise what I was feeling.”

* * *

 

Barry stared at her in wonder, hearing the words his heart had longed to hear for as long as he could remember. After a few moments, he remembered they weren’t alone and his eyes flicked up to Len’s face, wondering what his reaction to Iris telling Barry she loved him would be. But Len wasn’t looking at Iris, he was looking at Barry, an expression that could only be described as fond on his face.

 

“You’re...OK with this?” he had to ask, needing confirmation from both of them that this was really happening. Barry didn’t know what he expected, but it wasn’t Len placing his left hand over Iris’, so they were both cradling Barry’s hand to her chest.

 

“More than,” he answered softly, blue eyes locked with green. There was a vulnerability to him in that moment that Barry never thought he would see. He felt like he was floating, the things they were saying were too perfect, too much exactly what he wanted. It didn’t seem right, he had to be dreaming.

 

“I...I don’t know what to say...I…” He couldn’t say it, couldn’t let it out there into reality only to have it all snatched away.

 

“You don’t have to give us an answer now,” Iris assured him. “I know this is a lot to take in.” She raised the hand she held to her lips, pressing a gentle kiss to his fingers. “If you’re ready to give us a chance…”

 

“We’ll be waiting,” Len finished for her. Iris finally dropped his hand and Barry could only watch as they walked back inside.

 

Barry didn’t go back into the bar that night. Instead, he ran, zigzagging through Central City’s streets for hours, trying to make his head stop spinning. He’d been offered a chance, the kind he had only dreamed about, only to find he might not be brave enough to take it. Eventually, his running feet led him to Iris’ apartment building. He stood outside her door, feeling like he stood before an insurmountable fortress. He steeled himself, raised his hand to knock...and then began pacing. What if he’d misunderstood? What if they hadn’t really been saying what he thought? What if Len was only going along with it because it was what Iris wanted? There was no way that wouldn’t end up in resentment and disaster. 

 

Suddenly, Iris’ door was pulled open. Barry froze, taking in the sight of Len in the doorway. He was dressed in a soft t-shirt and sleeping pants, eyes a little bleary with sleep.

 

“Oh my god, did I wake you?” Barry blurted out before he could think. 

 

“No," Len assured him quietly. “I got up for some water, heard you wearing a hole in the hallway.” The look Len gave him was tired but fond.

 

“Oh.” Barry didn’t really know what else to say. They just stood there looking at each other, Barry nervously fiddling with his fingers and watching Len get more and more amused by his awkwardness. Finally, Len took pity on him.

 

“Come on, Kid,” he instructed, grabbing Barry’s hand and pulling him inside.

 

“Whuh, what are you doing?”

 

“I’m tired, so  _ we _ are going to bed.” Len easily led him through the apartment in the dark, testament to how much time he’d been spending there.

 

“Wait!” Barry dragged him to a stop just feet from Iris’ bedroom door. Barry rubbed the back of his neck nervously, not wanting to ask but needing to know. “You...you’re not just doing this for Iris, are you? The letting me join you, I mean.”

 

Len scrutinised him in the dim light for a moment and then stepped forward, cupping Barry's face. The kiss that came was not a surprise, but the sweet gentleness of it was. Just a soft press of lips, a simple gesture of affection that provided the reassurance Barry needed.

 

“No,” Len said softly, against his lips. “Are you?”

 

Vehemently, Barry shook his head, making Len smile and regather his hand. He led him into the bedroom, where the moon shone through the window to silhouette Iris’ sleeping form. Barry hesitated, heart hammering, but Len just tugged him forward and closed the door. He let go, gesturing at Barry to take off his shoes. He obeyed, feeling like he was moving through a dream. Len tossed him a pair of sleeping pants, which he changed into in a flash, blushing heartily at Len’s judging eyebrow. The older man chuckled and led him to the bed, pushing him down onto it when he hesitated again.

 

Iris rolled over with a groan, blinking blearily at them until she saw who was there. She grinned sleepily and moved over a little to make room, happily snuggling into Barry once he’d been situated into the middle. He looked at her in wonder, barely believing this was real. She gave him a soft kiss as Len got into bed on his other side, wrapping an arm around both of them. Len’s breath brushed against Barry’s shoulder and neck in a soothing way. Barry moved his arm to rest it over Len’s, twining their fingers and was rewarded with a soft kiss to his shoulder.

  
In the moonlight, with Iris snuggled into his left and Len curled against his right, warm in both of their arms, Barry finally accepted that this was real, it was really happening. He drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cisco sang 'Open your eyes' which Carlos Valdes actually covered, check it out if you haven't already.  
> Iris and Lisa sang 'Beautiful Liar' by Beyonce and Shakira.  
> Leonard sand 'All of me' by John Legend.
> 
> Don't worry, it's not over yet...


	15. Stolen happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up to a new reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that this took so long and that it's so short, it literally took me a week to figure out how to finish a conversation.

Iris had learned during their sleepovers as children that Barry turned into a human octopus when he slept. He always ended up both taking up as much space as humanly possible while somehow tangled around whomever else was in the bed. Len, on the other hand, slept curled up in a tight ball, his bedmate pulled protectively close in a way that made Iris’ heart ache. Iris always seemed to wind up on her stomach, no matter how she went to sleep.  The combined result of all this was an absolute mess of limbs. Barry managed to end up lying diagonally across the bed, one arm curled around each of them. Iris had slipped halfway down the bed with her legs entwined with Barry’s, her head pillowed on his stomach. Len was tucked into Barry’s side, one arm around his chest and a knee hooked over his hip that Iris had been holding onto in her sleep. 

 

She spent a moment looking at them in the pale pre-dawn light, marvelling at the thought she may get exactly what she wanted. She got up, careful not to wake them, leaving to heed the call nature that had woken her. When she returned, she saw Barry had shifted in his sleep to wrap around Len. She smiled radiantly to herself, unable to resist taking a quick picture. Sliding back into bed, she felt more than heard Barry grunt as the movement woke him, her arms slipping around his waist making him tense suddenly. She huffed against his neck.

 

“Stop freaking out,” she whispered.

 

“I’m not freaking out,” he whispered back in denial. “I'm just...lying in bed between my dream girl and the guy I've been crushing on for weeks. Kinda terrified that this is a dream and I'm about to wake up.”

 

Iris pressed a soft reassuring kiss to the back of his neck. “I can pinch you if you like?”

 

“Please don't, I remember your pinches!”

 

“I'll pinch you both,” Len grumbled tiredly into Barry’s T-shirt. “Why are you awake?” he whined. It was incredible how Central's most notorious criminal mastermind turned into a petulant child when sleep-deprived.

 

“Barry’s freaking out,” Iris informed him casually.

 

“I am not!” Barry protested, twisting a little so he was lying on his back without dislodging Len. Iris scooted further up so she could rest her head next to his on the pillow, one arm strewn across both of them.

 

“Good because I'm nowhere near awake enough to handle that.” Len burrowed closer into Barry. “Deal in the morning. Post-caffeine.”

 

“He’s not a morning person, is he?” Barry asked Iris, looking down at Len with fond surprise.

 

“He’s really not,” she agreed with a giggle.

 

“Some of us are of an age where we actually require a certain level of sleep to function,” Len muttered pointedly.

 

“Aw, baby, can’t you keep up with us young guns?” Iris teased mercilessly, forcing Barry to suppress a snort.

 

“You know I can,” Len purred suggestively, making Barry gulp and turn pink. “But one of you just so happens to have an unfair advantage. I need all the rest I can get.”

 

“I’d be impressed if either of you could keep up with me,” Barry said without thinking.

 

“Good thing there’s two of us,” Iris commented with a laugh and Len finally opened his eyes.

 

“I always love a good challenge,” he added, giving Barry a lascivious wink. Barry rolled his eyes.

 

“You’re gonna need more than a good night’s sleep.”

 

“Don’t you worry, Scarlet, I’m sure between us, Iris and I can come up with an effective plan of attack.”

 

“Oh, are you actually going to follow my plan this time?” Iris cut in, arching a brow at an unapologetic Len.

 

“No plan survives contact with the enemy.”

 

“Literally, apparently,” Iris muttered. They settled into a drowsy silence, and Iris was drifting back into the haze of sleep when Barry spoke again, quiet and vulnerable.

 

“Are you really sure about this?” he whispered softly. “About dating me?” Iris felt Len’s hold on Barry tighten ever so slightly even as she pressed closer.

 

“For someone so fast, you’re being remarkably slow,” Len grumbled.

 

“I guess I just need a little time to get used to the idea.”

 

“We kind of realised a while ago that we were already dating you,” Iris added gently. “We just didn’t say it out loud because we didn’t want to scare you.” She could practically hear the cogs turning in his head.

 

“Huh.” That single sound held a magnitude of sudden realisation.

 

“Now he gets it,” Len huffed.

 

“We know this isn’t going to be easy, Barry,” Iris continued. “We’re going to have to talk about boundaries and expectations, especially you two,” Both men made noises of agreement, “But I know we can make this work as long as we all keep trying.”

 

Barry let out a long breath. “Yeah, you’re right. This is not going to be easy.”

 

“Think you’re up for the challenge?” Len tried to sound flippant, but Iris could detect the barest hint of nervousness in his voice. A soft smile grew on Barry’s face.

 

“Yeah,” he affirmed softly, his arms tightening ever so slightly around them. “It’ll be worth it.”

  
  


After that, little really changed for Iris. The biggest difference was how Barry was around more when Len was, the three of them easily keeping their old dynamic with an added physicality. Len and Barry spent an hour over breakfast hashing out a compromise for their working relationship, a conversation Iris was glad she chose to mediate when the discussion got a little heated. There was still a learning curve to their relationship. There were things that Iris had learned about Len in the few weeks they’d been officially dating that Barry needed to know. Like how Len was still hesitant about physical displays of affection and Iris took the time to explain to Barry how to tell when he couldn't handle it and when Len needed it but didn't know how to ask. They both made sure that when Len did initiate affection it was reciprocated. She also made sure Len knew to slowly ease Barry into sexual contact, something he was always hesitant about early in a relationship. Although she could honestly say that watching those two make out was the single hottest thing she'd ever seen.

 

A part of her was kicking herself for taking so long to see how much Barry really meant to her, although rationally she knew she likely wouldn't have Len if that was the case. Everything clicked into place in a way nothing ever had before. She spent her days doing a job she loved, getting to know her new little brother and spending her nights between two men who adored her. She knew they were on borrowed time, eventually something would burst their happy bubble. But she was determined to enjoy it while it lasted.

  
She just never expected Len to be the pin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun dun DUUUNNN! Because I'm a bastard. Hopefully I'll get the next part out sooner.


	16. Safeguard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len spends the night with his lovers before making a big decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Smut ahead! If you want to skip, scroll down to the asterixes

Leonard paused in the task at hand to groan, deep and raw into the crease of Iris’ thighs. He had to slide his hands off her smooth, dusky skin to grip the sheets, otherwise he might have left bruises. Iris hummed happily as he breathed deep and calming breaths, her nails rolling across his scalp in a sweetly grounding counterpoint. Behind him, he felt Barry’s whole body shudder, sheathed to the hilt and hanging on by a thread.

 

“Doesn’t he feel good, Baby?” Iris purred. Len swept his tongue up her slit, making her gasp.

 

“You know he does.” Len’s voice was rough and low, and behind him Barry shivered again, grinding forward just enough to get both men groaning. Iris’ eyes were blown completely black, her plush lip between her teeth as she admired the tableau before her. Subtle pressure from her hands encouraged Len to get back to work, which he did with gusto, fighting to hold his concentration.

 

“God, Len, so good, fuck,” Barry hissed between his teeth as his hips began to move, slow gentle movements that were driving Len insane yet at the same time were not enough. He pushed back in encouragement, taking the speedster deeper, moaning into Iris at the sensation. Barry’s fingers gripped Len’s hips a little harder as he picked up the pace, a never-ending brook of profanity and praise running off his tongue. He seemed to know a thousand ways to call them beautiful, his words harmonising with Iris’ moans and sighs into a sweet symphony of pleasure that fed the fire in Len. The new force pressed Len’s face harder between Iris’ legs and she ground back against the pressure, carried high on the rising wave of euphoria.

 

“Damn, so fucking hot,” Barry ground out, running a hand tenderly down Len’s flank. “She’s so close, come on Len, I wanna see you make her come for us.”

 

“Yeah, Baby, so close, please, fuck!” Iris mewled, her hips canting and her thighs locking his head in a vice he didn’t want to escape. Her moans reached a crescendo as she came, Len gently lapping her through her release, her pleasure encouraging Barry to drive harder and deeper. He found a new angle and Len couldn’t contain the needy whimper it drew out of him. He was hard and aching between his stomach and the sheets, a minute  away from swallowing his pride and begging if they didn’t touch him soon.

 

After a few moments to catch her breath, Iris wiggled down the bed underneath him, Len lifting up further on his forearms to accommodate her. It took a little awkward maneuvering, but soon he was sheathed in Iris’ delicious wet heat, pulling out only to take Barry deep. The carnal loop of sensation was over-whelming, straining his self control as his toes curled and his fingers dug hard into the mattress. He had to hide his face in the crook of Iris’ neck, sucking and nippling at the tender flesh. He screwed his eyes tightly shut because his senses were overloaded with  **them** and sight was the only one he could block out. He felt buried by them, like they were in every part of him and he was in every part of them. 

 

Barry leaned forward to press kisses to the tattoos on Len’s back, his thrusts getting erratic and inhuman vibrations rolling through him to tell Len that he’s close. His nose was pressed to Len’s spine and one hand was clutching Iris’, still babbling beautiful filth but too fast to catch more than the odd word. Len moved to give Iris a sinful kiss, his tongue plundering her mouth as a full-body vibration snapped the last tether of his control and sent him over the edge, Barry following him half a second behind.

 

********************************************************************************************************

 

After a speedy clean up they lay together in the cool night air, Iris in the middle yet still somehow Len’s legs were tangled in Barry’s. The younger two soon fell asleep with tired, sated smiles, but Len lay awake, watching over them. Images he’d seen that very night danced in his mind’s eye, reminding him of the decision he’d made. He could admit, in the privacy of his own mind, that he’d finally crossed a line he never thought he would. He’d gotten close and gotten stupid, falling head over heels for these two incredible people. He’d only ever really loved Lisa, so he’d forgotten, forgotten what it meant to give yourself to another. To be willing to give anything and everything to protect them.

 

He was doing this for them. He knew that, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. It didn’t make knowing the risks any easier, it didn’t make him feel any less guilty for lying to them. That he felt guilty at all was frustrating, he was unaccustomed to caring about how others felt about his decisions. A tiny part of him was adamant it had been a mistake to get involved with these two, with their complications and rigid moralities, but he was already neck-deep and he knew it. He didn’t want out, he doubted he ever would, but the fact remained that they deserved a future, the best future he could give them. 

 

He loved them enough to fight to give them that, even if it meant lying to them. Even if he may never see them again.

* * *

 

The first night aboard the Waverider was bone-achingly lonely. Len hadn't realised how used he'd gotten to having one or two other bodies in his bed until they weren't there. He thought he'd be enjoying the lack of suffocating body heat, Barry in particular always ran hot, but for the first time the cold was no comfort. He lay in his bunk, staring up at the ceiling, the room too quiet without any slow, rhythmic breathing.

 

He gave up on sleep for now, and got out of bed, intending to do some exploring while everyone else slept. That plan was thwarted when he came across Sara in the cargo bay, moving through slowed martial patterns that almost looked like a dance.

 

“Can't sleep?” she asked as he parked himself casually against one wall, her movements never ceasing.

 

“Not exactly accustomed to nodding off in a tin can,” he drawled in response. “Seems I'm not the only one.”

 

“Sleep doesn't exactly come easy these days,” she replied sarcastically.

 

“I can’t imagine it would,” Len agreed. They lapsed into a comfortable silence, him mutely watching her move smoothly through her exercises.

 

“You look like you’ve got something other than insomnia on your mind,” Sara broke the silence after a while, her tone casual. Len arched a brow, drawn out of his thoughts that had wandered to a different time.

 

“You mean other than the chance that this could be a one-way trip?” He drawled snidely, but she saw past the deflection.

 

“Thinking about the people you left behind?” She asked knowingly but not unkindly. He tensed all the same, defences raised.

 

“And just what makes you think I left anyone behind?”

 

Sara arched a brow of her own, finally pausing in her movements. “The fact that you give a damn about making it back to 2016.”

 

He narrowed his eyes, wondering when the hell hell he got so transparent. Then again, she was an assassin, training to observe every detail, to exploit every weakness. He sighed dramatically.

 

“I suppose there might be a couple of people who’ll be a little put out if I don’t come back. My sister, for one.”

 

“Yeah,” Sara smiled, a soft, heartfelt smile that reminded him of Iris, making an ache spread through his chest. “My sister would probably kick my ass if I died on her a third time.”

 

“A third time?” Len really wanted to hear the story behind that. “I wouldn’t blame her.”

 

Sara chuckled softly and then became pensive. “You know, it makes me think; I don’t care what Rip said. So what if we’re not significant to the big picture? We’re significant to the people we care about.”

 

“To the people we fight for,” Len agreed softly.

 

“Yeah. That’s what matters.”

 

Leonard felt a smile trying to curl his lips, feeling almost fond. Sara was definitely becoming his second favourite person on this crew. “You remind me a lot of my girlfriend. She’d like you.”

 

“I don’t know if that’s much of a compliment, considering she apparently likes you too,” Sara teased, and he barked a laugh.

 

“I know, it confuses me too.”

 

She chuckled at the joke, but her gaze grew shrewd after a moment. “You miss her. That why you can’t sleep?”

 

Leonard tensed and closed himself off. He had definitely showed too much of himself tonight. He wasn’t here to make friends, he was here to safeguard Iris and Barry’s future, while stealing as much as he could get away with without the niggling feeling he was disappointing Barry. “Goodnight, Assassin,” he snapped coldly, pushing off the wall and heading for the door.

 

“Hey.” There was an apology in her voice, enough to make him pause. “Missing her doesn’t make you weak. Caring about people is harder than not. The fact that you’re sacrificing your own happiness to be here, that makes you strong.”

 

A fond smirk tugged at his mouth and he let it. “Nice speech. Now you remind me of my boyfriend.”

 

Sara’s eyebrows jumped and then lowered with intrigue. “Well. Somebody just got a whole lot more interesting...unless…” she arched one eyebrow in stern disapproval.

 

“My relationship,” he emphasized the use of the singular, “is hardly the most interesting thing about me.”

 

“Well, I look forward to learning what is.”

  
He scoffed and continued on his way. “Good luck with that.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone asked for Barry sexy times, so this happened. This isn't their first time, though. I coped out a little, I head-canon that Barry has a filthy mouth in bed and zero filter, but I couldn't bring myself to even type most of the shit he would say. Hence the vagueness.
> 
> I love Sara, couldn't resist putting her in this.
> 
> So, Len's fucked off to join the Legends crew. Wonder how Barry and Iris feel about that?


	17. Best Laid Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quiet moments lead to revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I forgot to put Wally in the tags.
> 
> Enjoy my attempt at Westallen.

In their defence, they did try to be discrete. It was a mutual agreement that the less questions asked about their relationship, the better, so the circle of people in the know was kept very small. Cisco, Caitlin, Mick, Lisa and Linda already knew about Iris and Len, and a few of them had managed to figure out something was up during karaoke night, so there was really no point in keeping it from any of them. They knew they couldn’t keep things quiet forever, after all, and it wouldn’t hurt to have allies, even if Mick and Lisa weren't aware that Barry was the Flash. They still hadn’t figured out how they were eventually going to break the news to Joe.

 

In hindsight, making out in his living room wasn’t the wisest choice. Barry and Iris had gotten used to being affectionate in the privacy of Iris’ apartment, and Joe’s house had just enough of that sense of home for both of them that they forgot themselves. They were enjoying a little time as just the two of them, since Len had texted them that morning to let them know he’d be away a few days.

 

Barry would never get tired of this. The way it felt to have her skin slide beneath his fingertips, the soft sighs she made into his mouth, the taste of her like everything he’d ever dreamed. The way she smiled against his mouth, the way she pressed her whole body against his like she couldn’t get enough contact. He’d spent a lifetime wondering, imagining how it might feel for her to look at him like he was something precious, like he was something she intended to hold on to and never let go. The reality was so much more than his teenage dreams could have conjured.

 

Neither of them remembered that they’d left the door slightly ajar, so there was no warning when it swung open and Joe strolled in, stopping in his tracks when he realised what he was seeing.

 

“Oh.”

 

They sprang apart at the soft exclamation, both flushed red and looking entirely guilty. Joe’s eyes were wide and disbelieving as he looked back and forth between them, but his smile was getting wider by the second, delight mixing with the surprised daze. “What’s goin’ on?”

 

“Uh…” Barry began nervously, looking to Iris for support.

 

“We can explain,” she supplied, just as nervous.

 

“I’m not upset, Joe hurriedly assured them. “In fact, I am ecstatic that you two finally figured out how much you mean to each other. Guess that explains where you’ve been sneaking off to at night.” He gave Barry a pointed look, making the speedster look down guiltily. “You didn’t have to hide this from me, you know.”

 

“We know that, Dad,” Iris assured him apologetically. “It’s just that, this is all still new and we’re still figuring things out.”

 

“It’s OK, I get it,” Joe placated. “I’m not gonna start shouting it from the rooftops, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

 

Barry gave a grimace that was trying to be a smile. “We appreciate that, Joe.”

 

Joe’s grin was now unapologetically wide, his happiness at this developement clear. “Well, I gotta go change, so I’ll give you two a couple minutes privacy. Oh, and Wally’s coming over for dinner,” he added over his shoulder as he disappeared up the stairs. The couple both slumped down onto the couch. Barry slipped his hand into Iris’, feeling a little thrill when she gave it a warm squeeze.

 

“Upside, we don’t have to pretend around Joe anymore,” he pointed out optimistically, lifting their joined hands to press a kiss to her fingers.

 

“True,” she agreed, moving over so she could snuggle into his side, her head resting on his shoulder. “So why do I feel like this just made things worse?”

 

“Because pretending that we’re just a couple feels like we’re betraying Len.” Barry sighed. “We don’t have much choice. I like our boyfriend alive, preferably without any bullet holes.”

 

“I know, I know. I just wish it didn’t have to be like this.” She sighed deeply and Barry pressed a comforting kiss to the top of her head. “And, let’s be honest, we can only delay the inevitable for so long. He is  _ going _ to find out.”

 

“Are you saying we tell him now?” Barry asked skeptically. They had already talked about this, after all. It had been agreed that they would wait at least a couple of months, when their relationship was more solid, to consider breaking the news to Joe.

 

“No,” she huffed, rolling her eyes. “I’m just, nervous, I guess.”

 

“What’s to be nervous about?” Joe asked as he trotted back down the stairs.

 

“Oh, uh, telling Wally,” Iris lied quickly. She shrugged. “Might as well, since the cat’s out of the bag.”

 

“Why are you nervous? I’m sure your brother will be happy for you,” Joe asked with a questioning frown.

 

“Oh, it’s just, you know Wally hasn’t warmed up that much to Barry, yet-”

 

“Thank you for that reminder,” Barry muttered.

 

“-and I don’t want this to make things worse,” Iris finished, voicing a real concern that hadn’t actually occurred to any of them until that moment. Joe winced a little at the reminder of the uncertainty that seemed to taint all of Barry and Wally’s interactions.

 

“Maybe it’ll actually help?” he suggested, optimistic but not particularly confident.

 

* * *

 

The nagging sense of betrayal stayed sitting at the back of Iris’ mind as the Joe set about preparing dinner with their help. It was fueled by the sheer relief it was to be openly close and affectionate with Barry after so long spent carefully restraining their interactions. It felt so good to just  _ be _ , to embrace the connection between them that was both new and familiar without fear. But there was a hole in her happiness, someone missing that she knew her father would never welcome. She caught Barry’s eye and found a bittersweet smile to match her own. She pressed a fond kiss to his cheek on her way to set the table, in that moment impossibly grateful that she had him in her life, that she’d had the courage to accept the love he offered her so freely and without expectation. 

 

Wally’s arrival helped to distract Iris from her own conflicted happiness, even if there was an undercurrent of awkwardness that seemed to permeate all of Wally and Barry’s interactions. It didn’t help that Joe couldn’t seem to stop grinning, which had Wally side-eyeing him a few times during the meal.

 

“What’s got you in such a good mood?” her brother asked, finally giving in to his obvious curiousity. 

 

“I’m just, really happy for my little girl, that’s all,” Joe replied, receiving matching unimpressed looks from Barry and Iris.

 

“Really, Dad?” Iris huffed.

 

“What?” Joe asked innocently from around a mouthful of mashed potato. “You said you were gonna tell him anyway.”

 

“We were, just not, you know, right now,” Barry explained with a wince.

 

“Tell me what?” Wally looked around the table for a proper explanation. Iris shot her father a pointed scowl.

 

“Well,” she began. “We wanted to let you know that Barry and I,” she placed her hand over Barry’s and he automatically laced their fingers together, “are dating.”

 

Wally’s eyes jumped back and forth between them for a moment, his face unreadable. “Each other?”

 

“Yeah,” Barry confirmed, clearing his throat to cover his nervousness. Wally continued to look at them silently for a long, awkward moment and then abruptly got to his feet.

 

“Iris, I need to talk to you outside.” He didn’t bother to check if she was following. Iris shot her father and boyfriend a reassuring look as she hurriedly got up and joined Wally out on the porch.

 

“So, I’m guessing things didn’t work out with the other guy, huh?” Wally asked without preamble the second she'd shut the door. “Because I’m pretty sure you’re not stupid enough to pull something like this if he’s still in the picture.”

 

“Actually…” Iris took a deep breath, steeling her nerves. “Len is still very much in the picture.”

 

“What the hell, Iris?” Wally demanded, eyes wide in shock and disappointment, and that actually hurt.

 

“Wally, let me explain-,”

 

“Explain what, that you’re cheating on your very dangerous criminal boyfriend? Or are you just using Barry to throw Joe off?” Wally had a gift for stating absolute disdain and seething anger in a deceptively conversational tone. “Because, honestly? I can’t decide which one of those is worse. I don’t even like Barry that much but using a guy like that, who is clearly in love with you by the way, is just cruel.”

 

“It’s not like that, Wally, I swear!”

 

“Then what is it like? Because it looks pretty damn bad from where I’m standing.”

 

Iris winced. “No one is cheating and no one is being used, with or without their knowledge,” she assured him. He didn’t respond, he just looked at her, stoic and expectant, waiting for further explanation. “Ok, what do you know about polyamory?”

 

Wally frowned, although he was looking decidedly less angry. “That’s where you date more than one person, right?” 

 

“Pretty much.”

 

“And they’re both ok with...sharing?” Wally sounded skeptical, and Iris couldn’t help the small huff of amusement that escaped.

 

“That would be a little hypocritical since their dating each other too.”

 

“Oh.” All the wind seemed to go out of Wally, and now he just looked intrigued, of all things. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, apparently trying to formulate a question. “Actually, you know what?” He shook his head. “I don’t even wanna know. Just…” He sighed and looked her in the eye. “Are you happy?”

 

Iris smiled softly and nodded. “Yeah. More than I thought I could be.”

 

“OK then. And I’m gonna assume Joe doesn’t know about your third half?”

 

“You would assume correctly.”

 

“Of course.” He smirked “But when this finally comes out, I officially knew nothing. I’m not going down on your crazy ship.” 

 

“Ok, fair enough,” Iris agreed with an amused grin. “Now can we go and finish dinner before it gets cold?”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Wally griped good-naturedly. “I’m sorry that my concern for your well-being kept you from your meal,” he added sarcastically. They re-entered the house to the sound of Iris’ laughter, which helped to ease the look of nervous concern on Barry’s face. Neither he nor Joe asked what that had been about, but the rest of the meal was noticeably more relaxed. Privately, Iris wondered what Joe and Barry thought about the intrigued looks Wally occasionally shot Barry.

 

That evening she sent Len a text, informing him of the recent developments. She looked forward to when he called back, but by the time she went to bed, her phone had remained silent. She and Barry were a little pre-occupied at that point to notice, and the next day she simply assumed Len had been busy with what he was working on. He occasionally went radio-silent right before a heist, so she wasn’t too concerned. And he had said he was going to be away for a few days. 

 

By the third day she had to work to calm the flutter of fear seeping into her heart. It was only exacerbated when the first thing Barry said to her that day was to ask if she’d heard from their boyfriend.  But the rationale that had calmed her for the last few days was still technically valid so she gave it to him to help assuage his own concerns. He took it gratefully, but she could see from the line on his brow that he wasn’t entirely convinced. That, like her, there was a niggling sense that something was wrong that he couldn’t ignore. After a week of nothing, both of them had given up any pretense of not being concerned. Something was wrong and they were going to find out what whether Len wanted them to or not.

 

“Cisco,” Barry called as he and Iris entered the cortex. The engineer looked up from the computer he’d been sitting at, half a twizzler hanging out of his mouth. “We need a favour.”

 

“Sure, guys, what do you need?” Cisco agreed cheerfully, his grin dimming as he took in their grim expressions. “Are you gonna ask me to vibe a dead body? Please don’t ask me to vibe a dead body, because I’ll do it but you will owe me so big!”

 

“No dead body, Cisco,” Iris assured him, the ghost a smile twitching her lips at his reaction. “We need you to track down Len.”

 

“What? Why?” Now Cisco just looked entirely confused.

 

“We haven’t heard from him in days,” Barry told him earnestly, all his worry bleeding into his voice. “He said he’d be gone for a couple days, but it’s been a week now and we really think something is wrong.”

 

Cisco’s jaw dropped and both Barry and Iris frowned. Stunned silence wasn’t exactly the reaction they’d expected. “Holy shit. He didn’t tell you, did he?”

 

“What?” Barry and Iris chorused, now it was their turn to be confused. Cisco swore profusely and at length in rapid Spanish. He gave them both a pained, pitying look.

 

“Man, I should not be the one who has to tell you this,” he muttered.

 

“Tell us what, Cisco?” Iris demanded.

 

“Please,” Barry added. “Just tell us.”

 

“For the record, I thought you already knew and that is the only reason I didn't say anything sooner.” He took a deep breath and rubbed tiredly at his eyes. He gestured to the spare chairs next to him. “You might want to sit down, it’s pretty unbelievable.” He took a bite of his twizzler to occupy himself while they sat, although Iris privately thought he was stalling.

  
“I only know any of this because Ray dropped by to say hi before he left. It all starts when Ray, Kendra, Carter, Stein, Jax, Heatwave, Len and Laurel’s sister Sara all got future-roofied by a guy from 2166…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the truth comes out!
> 
> Joe is totally the captain of the Westallen ship.
> 
> Aww, Wally's worried about his big sis! And now thinks Barry might not be the perfect goody two-shoes he was led to believe.


	18. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth comes to light.

Iris had never wanted to hit something so much in her life. And Barry was currently being the definition of unhelpful, which made him a tempting target.

 

“How are you not angry about this?” Iris demanded as she paced furiously. Cisco had rather wisely given them the room after breaking the news as gently as he knew how. Barry had remained seated since Cisco finished speaking, his face locked in a mildly stunned expression. Iris’ irritated demand seemed to finally knock him out of his stupor.

 

“Wait, you seriously think I’m not angry?” He asked incredulously. “Iris, I’m goddamn furious! If Len walked through that door right now, I’d probably break his nose.”

 

“Then why aren’t you acting like it?” She stopped pacing to scowl accusingly at him, hands planted on her hips.

 

“Because, honestly? As hurt as I am that he did this to us...at the same time, I am really fucking proud of him.”

 

Iris’ eyebrows jumped, unable to believe what she was hearing. “You’re proud of him? For what? For running off? Leaving us in the dark guessing, when, if ever, he was coming back?”

 

“For actually taking the opportunity to be the hero I know he can be,” Barry stated clearly and stubbornly. 

 

“That’s not the point, Barry, I’m not arguing that. But why didn’t he tell us?” Iris seethed, gesturing expansively and shaking with anger. “I thought he trusted us.” The words came out softer and shakier than she had intended, and Barry stepped into his space, his hands resting on her upper arms and stroking in a soothing motion.

 

“I don’t think it was about trust,” Barry said gently. Iris wished she could believe his words. But Len’s actions had played right into her insecurities, insecurities she hadn’t even been aware of until  _ Len _ had pointed them out to her. If it wasn’t about trust, then he should have known better than to do this to her. Or Barry, who seemed to simply accept that everyone he cared about would eventually leave him. Yet here he was, attempting to comfort her, when his own head must be a mess of hurt and self-loathing. She slumped forward into his arms, wrapping her own around him tightly.

 

“When he comes back,” Iris said vehemently into Barry’s chest, because it  _ had  _ to be when, not if, “I’m going to kick his ass!”

 

Barry gave a watery chuckle. “I have no doubt you’ll have him on his knees, begging for mercy, inside of a minute.”

 

Iris huffed in amusement at the image. “You know he’s probably responsible for every unexplainable robbery in history, right?” She pointed out drolly.

 

“Probably,” Barry agreed with a heavy breath and a crooked smile. “But he’s also fighting to save the future.”

 

“I’m still gonna kick his ass.”

 

“I’m not gonna stop you.”

 

“I noticed something the other day,” Iris commented after a few moments of silent hugging. “Do you remember the weekend of my 25th birthday? When I made you get in the photo booth with me?”

 

“Of course,” Barry answered, frowning. “Why?”

 

“I kept the photo strip on my pinboard at home.” She pulled back enough to look him in the eye. “I didn’t think anything of it, figured the strip had fallen off or something. But it’s gone.”

 

“You...think he took it?”

 

“I do. I think he knew he was going to be away a while, at least from his perspective.”

* * *

  
  


Bittersweet was a word Iris had become intimately familiar with in the months following the loss of Eddie. As ferociously angry as she was at Len for just leaving them without a word, she was also desperately worried. It was clear that Len hadn’t expected them to even notice his absence, so what did it mean that they hadn’t come back yet? They had no way of knowing if something had gone wrong, if their time machine was broken or worse. She was glad that she had Barry to comfort her, but at the same time she hated seeing him in exactly the same state she was in. They spent many nights up late, lying in each other’s arms and speculating about where he might be, what he might be doing, making vain attempts at reassurance. 

 

And while they found comfort in each other, she knew the strain was beginning to show. Several of her co-workers had commented on her tired, stressed appearance, although thankfully that had decreased once Linda made it a habit to glare murderously at anyone who made such a comment. Joe had been understandable confused by Barry and Iris’ somber moods, but they managed to blame it on the struggle against Zoom. Those who were in the loop did try to help. Cisco did everything he could to reassure them, telling them every last detail Ray had given him. Caitlin invited Iris out to lunch and talked about what she’d been through when she learned Ronnie was alive, only for him to disappear.  It wasn’t quite what they were going through, but it was nice to know that someone else understood. It was similar when they went to Saints & Sinners with Lisa, the three of them drinking and commiserating over her idiot brother and his inability to communicate. It turned out Lisa had gotten a similar text, only hers had included instructions to keep an eye on Len’s business interests in his absence. She complained about it a great deal, but Iris could see that she appreciated having something to keep herself busy, to keep her mind off the worry. Barry had his work as the Flash and the fight against Zoom to occupy him, although that wasn’t exactly preferable. Iris simply envied them their distractions. All she had was work, and that was nowhere near enough to keep her mind off the fact that one of her boyfriends was fighting an immortal tyrant somewhere in time and the other was fighting off metahuman assassination attempts every other week in addition to his usual fights.

 

It took six weeks for Iris to begin coming to terms with the fact that Len wouldn’t be coming back. Every time she had the thought it was like a punch in the gut, but as time wore on it seemed more and more likely. She chose not to say as much to Barry. Things were bad enough as it was, he didn’t need her taking away his hope simply because she was losing hers. And when she wasn’t worrying about Len, she was happy with Barry. He was what made the creeping sense of loss bearable. Truly, Iris’ mood at any one moment could be described as bittersweet.

 

There was a saying about things getting worse before they got better.

 

Really, Iris had no excuse. She was a detective’s daughter, she knew better than to leave evidence lying around. But she’d been sitting there, missing him, missing the way things used to be, and she couldn’t resist pulling out her phone and looking through the few pictures she had of him. She’d stopped on her favourite when Joe called from the kitchen for help with dinner. It was supposed to be another family dinner, but Wally had to cancel at the last minute and Barry was working late, so it was just the pair of them. So, she put her phone down and put a smile on her face, determined to enjoy some time alone with her dad. And she had, it was nice to escape all her worry and complications for a few hours. She was actually laughing at one of Joe’s dad-jokes as she headed for the door, when Joe called out.

 

“Sweetheart, don’t forget your phone.”

 

She turned back, freezing when she saw the way he was looking at the screen. Her blood ran cold as she remembered the last thing she’d been looking at, the picture she’d taken the first night she, Len and Barry had all shared a bed. Her father’s face had gone shockingly pale, his face contorted in horror and confusion as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing.

 

“Dad…?” Iris said softly, cautiously, her hands coming up in an unconscious placating gesture.

 

“What the hell is this?” he demanded, his voice deadly frigid and deceptively calm.

 

“I can explain.”

 

“There had better be a DAMN good explanation, because the only one I got is that I’ve just gone insane!” He brandished her phone. “I honestly can’t even begin to imagine how  _ this _ might’ve happened, let alone why you would have it on your phone!”

 

“Last time I checked it was pretty normal for a girl to keep pictures of her boyfriend.”

 

“Not of her boyfriend wrapped up in another man! And that man had damned well better not be who I think he is!”

 

Iris took a deep, fortifying breath, wishing that Barry was there with her, that she didn’t have to do this alone. All the stress and worry from the last few weeks already had her near breaking point. “Well, if you think he’s Leonard Snart, then you’re going to be disappointed.”

 

“Iris Ann West, why in the hell do you have a photo of Barry in bed with Leonard fucking Snart?”

 

Iris winced, her father rarely swore, so it was a very bad sign when he did. That he’d used her full name was even worse. “I found out, at Christmas, that Leo Wynters was Leonard Snart.”

 

“Your internet friend?”

 

“Yeah. And, well, I got to know him. And the more I got to know him, the more I saw what Barry saw in him.” She squared her shoulders, jutting her chin stubbornly. “Underneath it all, he’s a good man.”

 

“So what, you became best pals with a criminal?” Joe suggested sarcastically. 

 

“Essentially, yeah." That made him flinch in surprise. "Look, he is what he was made to be, all I wanted was to show him he didn’t need to be that man anymore. That he could change for the better, and that was a good thing.”

 

His expression turned pitying. “Iris, you can’t change a man like Snart. He’s a bad egg, he always will be.”

 

“How can you say that?” Iris demanded. “You’re a cop, our entire legal system is based around the idea that people can be rehabilitated.”

 

“Because I am a cop and I been doin’ this a long time. I know some people just can’t change.”

 

“He can,” Iris assured him through gritted teeth. “I’ve seen it.”

 

“Oh right, because you two are best pals,” he stated sarcastically. He glanced back down at the phone in distaste. “Were you and Barry ever really dating, or was it all just some big smokescreen to cover up  _ this _ ?” He gestured at the phone.

 

“No, Dad, Barry and I are actually dating.”

 

“Then what the hell is this?!”

 

Iris took a deep breath, wringing her shaking hands in a show of nerves. She felt sick. She wasn’t ready to tell him, and the timing couldn’t be worse, but she had no choice.

 

“Barry and I...are also dating Len.” She closed her eyes, afraid to see the look on her father’s face. She opened them when she heard a clatter, seeing that Joe had dropped the phone back onto the coffee table. She thought he’d been pale before, but now he looked like he might pass out. He paced a couple of steps back and forth.

 

“Both of you, you’re both…” He stopped, revealing the single most livid look she had ever seen on his face. “I’m gonna kill him!”

 

“Dad, you can’t-”

 

“THE HELL I CAN’T!” he roared. He took a step back after he did, taking long, deep breaths through his nose.

 

“Dad-” Iris began, but he cut her off.

 

“I need to go.” Without another word, he strode past her out the door, ignoring her protests. The door slammed behind him, echoing through the suddenly cold house. Iris felt all her strength leave her and she slid to her knees, silent tears streaming down her face. That was how Barry found her when he arrived home from work a few minutes later. The second he saw her he dropped down to her level, pleading for her to tell him what was wrong. She finally looked at him, all her hopelessness in her eyes.

  
“He knows, Barry. Dad knows about Len.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this kind of broke my heart. Iris, I am so sorry.
> 
> We'll check back in with Len next, if only so I can take a break from the angst.


	19. Broken Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len faces the music

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm taking a few liberties with the timeline, in case that wasn't obvious.
> 
> I fucking hate writing conflict in established relationships. I just fail at it.

 

“Ooooh, is that them?” 

 

Len hastily snatched the photo strip out of reach of Sara’s curious fingers. “Not that it’s any of your business, but yes.” He should have known better than to have the one memento he’d allowed himself out in a common area, but he’d been confident he’d hear anyone coming with plenty of time. Unfortunately, the damned assassin was the one person on the ship actually capable of sneaking up on him. Sara seemed to realise she was treading on thin ice and kept a polite distance as she knelt opposite where he sat, rather than invading his personal space the way she thoughtlessly had a second ago. 

 

“May I see?” She asked, her expression honestly apologetic and her tone making it clear she would perfectly understand a refusal. It was that tone that convinced him to relent. Sighing dramatically, he handed it over, albeit somewhat reluctantly. She awwed softly at the sweet smiles and giggled at the silly faces they had pulled. “They’re beautiful,” she commented as she handed it back. Leonard had to put deliberate effort into not snatching. Sara leaned back against the wall, stretching her legs out between them. “How’d they take it when you told them you were on a mission to save the future?”

 

Leonard tensed, his eyes trained on the photographs in his hands. “I didn’t tell them,” he admitted softly. 

 

Her brow pinched in mild concerned. “Well, what did you tell them?” She waited patiently for a response, but none came. He couldn’t meet her eye, couldn’t admit to his cowardice. His silence said enough.

 

“Oh,  _ Leonard _ ,” Sara breathed out gravely, radiating sympathy and, surprisingly, disappointment. “How could you?”

 

“What does it matter?” he snapped, finally looking up to glare at her. “When all this is over, Rip’ll drop us off in 2016 like we never left.”

 

“It matters because what if something happens to you? Or if something happens to the ship and we’re stranded? They’ll have no way of knowing what happened to you. They will spend the rest of their lives wondering, with no idea of the sacrifice you made.” She was vehement, like she couldn’t believe she actually had to explain that to him. In truth, she was simply voicing thoughts that had plagued Len since he’d set foot on the Waverider, but he refused to show it, expressing only general irritation. He was already giving himself enough grief, he didn’t need it from her too.

 

“What do you expect me to do about it now?” he drawled. She didn’t get the chance to answer, as in that moment Gideon’s soothing synthetic voice politely informed them that Captain Hunter was gathering the crew on the bridge. Sara gave him a significantly look as she headed for the door, and Leonard knew that this conversation was far from over.

 

The others had all already gathered, notably all looking at a rather shaken Kendra. The swirling green of the temporal zone flowed eerily past the windows, a sight Len had yet to get used to. With their arrival, the entire group was now present. Rip cleared his throat to draw their attention, his hands deep in his pockets and his face even graver than usual.

 

“It would appear that Miss Saunders caught a glimpse of a Time Wraith.” The only person to react to Rips proclamation with anything other than a blank look was Mick, who scowl and muttered a few choice curses under his breath.

 

“Uh, what the hell is a time wraith?” Jax voiced the other’s thoughts.

 

“A time-traveller's worst nightmare,” Mick grunted. 

 

“Care to share with the rest of the class?” Len drawled sardonically.

 

“They are the guardians of the timestream,” Rip elaborated. “No one knows what they are or where they come from. Indeed, many among the Time Masters dismiss them as myths, but I assure you, they are quite real.” His eyes swept the room gravely. “Part of the reason only highly trained individuals are permitted to time travel is precisely to avoid the time wraiths’ attention. Should they perceive anyone to be causing irreparable damage to the timeline, they will hunt them down and destroy them.”

 

Sara scoffed. “They can’t be very good at their job, if this is the first time we’re seeing one.”

 

_ “Time ship design makes it difficult to track, Miss Lance,”  _ Gideon piped up _. “Earlier models moved through time similarly to a speedster, by bending the timestream around them. This proved to have detrimental consequences and later models were subsequently designed to move through the ripples of the timestream. It was these advancements that led to the discovery of the Temporal Zone _ .”

 

“So the ring wraiths are out to get us. They can get in line behind everyone else,” Len drawled dismissively. After all, being hunted was hardly new for them.

 

“I don’t think you understand, Mr Snart.” Rip leveled him with a stern look. “Time wraiths cannot be fought. They cannot be reasoned with, they cannot be bribed and they cannot be stopped.”

 

“Unless you believe the rumours,” Mick added cryptically from his corner. Rip tilted his head in reluctant acquiescence.

 

“Rumours, I’m afraid, that we are going to have to bet our lives on.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Ray asked, frowning. “What rumours?”

 

“Apparently, only one person ever drew the wrath of a time wraith and lived to tell the tale. We are going to find him and ask exactly how he did it,” Rip stated dramatically, before adding, “If he did, in fact, manage to kill one.”

 

“Great,” Kendra said optimistically as she sat in one of the passenger seats. “So when are we going?” 

 

“Gideon, set a course for Central City, 2016.”

 

“2016?” Jax exclaimed as they strapped themselves in. “Oh yeah, baby! We’re going home!”

 

Leonard ignored the look Sara was giving him, too busy hiding the elation he felt at the thought of seeing Iris and Barry again.

 

“ _ We have arrived in Central City, July 7th, 2016 _ .”

 

“July?” Leonard snapped. “I thought we’d be returning to when we left?”

 

“That would be pointless, Mr Snart, as at that time the Flash would have yet to face a time wraith,” Rip answered briskly as they all unbuckled.

 

“The Flash? This just gets better and better,” Leonard muttered darkly, resisting the urge to rub his temples. He tuned out the rest of the general comments and conversation as they disembarked, conveniently parked in the deserted STARlabs parking lot. He took a deep breath to try and calm his racing pulse. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way, they weren’t supposed to be  _ late _ . He was supposed to come back like he never left or not come back at all. He had no way of knowing how exactly his absence had affected them. It had been months, would they even want him anymore? Would they welcome his return with relief or despise him for abandoning them? He let himself drift towards the back of the group as they made their way into the imposing building, shamelessly attempting to buy himself a few extra seconds of time. Sara smirked at him, clearly recognising the tactic. Oddly enough, Rip drifted to the back with him once they reached the elevator, an almost nervous look on his face. Mick eyed Leonard from across the crowded elevator.

 

“What’s got you so tense?” he asked. “Our deal with the Flash is still good.”

 

“Nothing,” Len snapped back through gritted teeth. 

 

“Or are you itching to go see your little lovebirds?” Mick’s teasing comment had every head in the elevator swinging to face Len, all with matching curious eyes save for Sara’s smug ones.

 

“None of your business,” Len growled. “Any of you.” Thankfully the elevator reached their destination at that moment, preventing any of them from trying to make it their business. Ray, Jax and Kendra led the group down the hall, eager to greet their friends. The others followed at a more sedate pace. The sound of jubilant greetings echoed down the corridor, the voice of Cisco Ramon clearly standing out. Len’s gut clenched in anticipation, his iron will the only thing keeping his anxiety off his face. 

 

Rounding the corner into the cortex was almost a let down. The only people present other than their team were Cisco and a man Leonard had never met but knew to be Harry. The older man stood off to the side, looking mildly suspicious of their group as he observed Cisco attempt to hug three people at once. It was only once they’d untangled that the young engineer became aware of the others in the room.

 

“Duuuude,” he exclaimed slowly as he caught sight of Len, somehow being both pitying and smug. “You are in sooo much trouble.” He was entirely uncowed by Leonard’s scowl. “Seriously, I’ve never seen Iris that angry. I thought she was gonna hit  _ me _ , and all I did was tell them.”

 

“Thank you, Cisco,” Len drawled sarcastically through his teeth. “I am well aware that I fucked up.”

 

“Good.”

 

Before Leonard could react to the sudden sound of Barry’s voice, he was being moved at lightning speed. His back collided painfully with a wall but it didn't matter because it was Barry holding him up, kissing him hard and desperately in a way that made Len want to punch  himself. Barry was kissing him like he never thought he’d see him again, because he probably hadn't. Len kissed back just as fiercely, his hands crushing the younger man close to his chest. White noise roared in his ears but all that mattered was showing Barry he was really here, he was really back and hadn't abandoned him. He felt the hitch in Barry’s breathing and the full body shudder that came as he responded. It felt far too soon when Barry abruptly pulled back, but Len could clearly see the seething anger behind the moisture gathered in Barry’s eyes.

 

“You ASSHOLE!” Barry yelled in his face, making him wince. 

 

“I deserve that,” he admitted.

 

“You’re goddamn right you deserve that!” Barry seethed. “Do you have any idea what you put us through?” Now that Barry wasn’t invading all his senses, Len was aware of their audience in the background. Most of his team wore varying degrees of shock and surprise; Rip in particular looked like he’d just walked in on his parents having sex.

 

“Are you sure you want to do this here, now?” he asked Barry, with a meaningful glance over Barry’s shoulder. The speedster’s grim expression didn’t waver, and for a moment Len truly thought Barry intended to have it out with him in front of all their teammates. Thankfully, after a moment’s deliberation, Barry flashed them both away, into a room somewhere in the labs that Len had never seen.

 

“Look, Scarlet-”

 

“It’s been MONTHS! And you gave us nothing! Lisa tries to hide it but she’s being going out of her mind with worry, and Iris…” The moisture in Barry’s eyes threatened to spill over into actual tears. “Dammit, we thought something had happened to you! That maybe you weren’t coming back! How, how could you let us think that?” Every one of Barry’s words felt like a knife dragging across his skin. He would swear losing his hand hadn’t felt as bad as this. He wanted to break down, he wanted to just hold Barry in his arms until he had no more tears but he couldn’t, not while he was unsure if his touch would be welcome.

 

“I’m sorry!” he finally managed to get in. “I know in the grand scheme of things it probably doesn’t mean much, but I AM sorry.”

 

“It’s a start.” Barry finally released him, putting a good foot of space between them that felt like a canyon. “But it’s not enough. These past few months have been  _ hell _ , Len. You disappearing, on top of everything else...and it is damn hard to defend you when it looks like you’ve just skipped town. Joe hasn’t spoken to either of us in over a month.”

 

“What? Why?” Len demanded. For the first time he saw just how tired and drained Barry looked, especially as his shoulders sagged when mentioning Joe.

 

“He found out, Len. He found a picture Iris had. We tried to talk to him, both of us, but he just doesn’t want to listen. It’s just...it’s been hard.” He looked Len dead in the eye, all the pain Len had caused him on display. “You didn’t even say goodbye.” It was soft and broken and the last straw. Len crossed the distance between them and pulled Barry into a hug. He expected the younger man to brush him off, to push him away, but instead he slumped against him, his arms reciprocating in a near bruising grip.

 

“I know,” Len whispered apologetically in his ear, glad the others weren’t there to hear the way his voice cracked. 

 

“I’m so angry right now, but I’m so happy you’re back,” Barry mumbled into Len’s jacket. 

 

“You keep trying to fight but I’m just happy to see you,” Len responded wryly. 

 

“Did you seriously just reference the Incredibles?” Barry asked in disbelief, almost choking on a watery chuckle.

 

“Your fault for making me watch it. And it’s still true.” Neither broke the hug, both of them simply reveling in the embrace of the other. It took Cisco’s voice over the intercom to finally separate them.

 

“FYI Barry, your back-up is on it’s way.”

 

“Back-up?” Barry murmured with a frown, but understanding dawned on his face as the sound of high heels echoed down the hall. He gave Len an evil grin and took a step back, clearly putting himself out of the firing line. Len barely had time to swallow nervously before Iris barrelled into the room. Despite the absolutely thunderous look on her face she was even more beautiful than he remembered. She didn’t break stride, walking right up to him and slapping him soundly across the face.

 

“I deserve that,” Len said, remorseful and resigned to another round of yelling. He wasn’t expecting her to throw herself at his chest, her arms so tight they felt like they were bruising his ribs.

 

“Shut up! I’m going to kill you, you son of a bitch!” The threat lost some of it’s weight, muffled as it was against his coat. Len hugged her back just as fiercely.

 

“Why?” she demanded, pulling back as suddenly as she’d pulled him in. “How could you do this to us?”

 

“Iris, I’m sorry-”

 

“Oh, you’re sorry? Sorry you left without a word? Sorry you broke your sister’s heart? Sorry you made me think _ you were dead  _ for three fucking months?” There were tears streaming down her face and she punctuated the last three words with three sharp jabs of an angry finger to his chest.

 

“Yes!” Len was dimly aware that he was yelling. “I’m sorry that I was a coward!” He looked back and forth between them. “You wanna know why I didn’t say goodbye? Because I  _ couldn’t _ ! I tried, but…” He clenched his fists and ground his teeth, hating himself for the choice he’d made and that he was so terrible at explaining his feelings. “...I just couldn’t.” He took a deep breath. “Saying goodbye...felt like accepting that we might fail. That is not an option.”

 

“So it was pride?” Iris spat incredulously. “That’s why you put us through this?”

 

“No,” Len stated vehemently. “Failing meant never seeing you two again. It meant that  _ you _ had to endure a future manipulated by Vandal Savage. That is what I couldn’t accept.”

 

“That’s why you joined the team,” Barry said softly. “For us.”

 

“Why else would I risk everything?” The words came out before Len could stop them, an accidental confession. The words had an instant effect, Iris and Barry moving simultaneously to wrap Len in their arms. He hadn’t even realised he’d started trembling until they held him. “I know I made a bad choice,” he admitted softly into Iris’s hair. “I didn’t mean to hurt you like this.”

 

“We know that  _ now _ ,” Barry huffed into his neck. “And honestly, knowing why you did it helps.”

 

“But it’s going to take time for us to forgive you,” Iris said for both of them. Len nodded, not trusting his voice in that moment. Iris lifted her head so she could look in his eyes and brought up a hand to cup his jaw. “Just, promise us you’ll never do this again? Never just disappear on us without a word? Not if you can help it.”

 

“I swear.” Truly, it wasn’t worth the pain. Iris’ answering smile was small but to Len it might as well have been the sun. She leaned up to kiss him and Len took all she would give, grateful that he hadn’t completely destroyed their relationship.

 

“Seriously though,” she said as she pulled back. “I’m still furious.”

 

“Totally in the doghouse,” Barry agreed as he too broke away from their embrace.

 

“Noted,” Len said with a rueful grimace.

 

“Iris, why is there blood on your knuckles?” Barry asked, frowning at her hands.

  
“Oh,” Iris blushed and glanced at Len. “I might have punched your captain on my way here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has 50% less punching, 30% less crying and 20% more yelling than the first couple of drafts. 
> 
> Vaguely toying with the idea of writing a bonus scene of what happened after Barry and Len flashed away, but I'm not sure I want to deal with that many characters at once.
> 
> What is it with women from 2016 and decking Rip?


	20. A Willingness To Negotiate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe gets some unexpected advice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you were wondering, this is set pre-Versus Zoom

The West family home had never felt so empty. Barry was barely home these days, his laundry appearing in the machine every now and then the only evidence that he still technically lived there. On the rare occasion the two residents were home at the same time, the tension was choking, Barry wearing a perpetually pained expression, not that Joe ever looked him in the eye. Barry always had a reason to leave quickly on these occasions. Wally’s visits became a welcome reprieve from the cold and aching emptiness that permeated the once warm and vibrant home. Unfortunately, Wally was not unaware of the situation, although had until now kept his opinion to himself.

 

“So, it’s just us again, huh?” Wally asked carefully as the game they were watching went into half-time.

 

“Yeah,” Joe confirmed with a sigh. “Just us.” His eyes stayed on the tv, so he missed the calculating look Wally gave him. After a few moments of silence, the young man leaned forward with a deep breath, his arms propped on his knees and his hands clasped loosely as he regarded his father.

 

“You know you can’t do this forever.” 

 

“Do what?” Joe asked, frowning at the blunt non-sequitur.

 

“Shut out Iris and Barry.”

 

Joe scowled. “Look, son, I don’t know how much you think you know abo-”

 

“I know you haven’t spoken to either of them since you found out about their boyfriend.” Wally ignored Joe’s disgusted grimace. “And this had better not be about Barry being into dudes too, ‘cause if it is, we have a damn big problem.”

 

“Woah, son, it ain’t about that. Known about that since he was fourteen.” Joe sighed deeply, scrubbing his face with one hand. “Look, what do you know about Leonard Snart?”

 

“I know he’s a criminal,” Wally answered with a shrug. “I also know he walked alone into a room full of gunmen to save mine and Iris’ lives.”

 

Joe shook his head. “One good deed doesn’t change what he’s done.”

 

“Maybe not,” Wally acquiesced, “but that doesn’t mean it’s not a step in the right direction. I mean, isn’t our whole justice system based on the idea that people can be rehabilitated?”

 

“Wally, Snart has been a criminal his whole life, born and raised in a family of criminals. That leopard ain’t changing his spots in this lifetime.”

 

Wally gave him a long, inscrutable look. “It’s kind of sad that you feel that way. Must make doing your job pretty hard, believing that the things you’re doing aren’t really making a difference.”

 

“Not everyone-”

 

“Oh, so some people can change, just not him?” Wally cut in snidely. “Look, I get why you have a problem with this. But he’s clearly important to them and he saved my life. As far as I’m concerned, that’s worth at least giving him a chance.”

 

“You don’t know him, Wally,” Joe argued.

 

“And you do?” 

 

“I know enough.” Joe’s tone suggested he was reaching the edge of his patience. “Can we just watch the game?”

 

“Actually, I got some school stuff I should really be working on right now,” Wally stated as he stood, barely attempting to sound convincing. “I’ll see you ‘round, Joe.” The sound of the front door closing behind him echoed through a house that suddenly felt cold and empty once more.

* * *

  
  


“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t put you down right now.”

 

Len gave Joe an unimpressed look as he slid into the booth opposite him. Joe’s hand twitched towards his shoulder holster, his face frozen in a murderous scowl. The other patrons of the busy diner remained oblivious to the sudden volatile tension in the air. Len smoothly removed his aviators so he could meet the other man’s glare with eyes empty of fear but full of intent.

 

“We both know you’re not going to shoot an unarmed man in broad daylight in a room packed with witnesses,” he pointed out reasonably, adjusting his cap a little to ensure Joe was the only one who could get a good look at his face. “So let’s dispense with the empty threats, shall we, Detective?”

 

“The more you talk, the less empty it gets,” Joe stated flatly, his meal forgotten. He radiated the tension of barely contained anger, the witnesses in the room the only thing keeping him in his seat. Leonard had chosen this setting well. A waiter was unfortunate enough to approach their table, accepted Len’s order of coffee and fled with a decidedly spooked expression. Neither man spoke for a loaded minute, both assessing the other with a lifetime of finely honed skill.

 

“You know, Detective,” Len broke the silence in an unexpectedly mild tone after a sip of his subpar coffee. “I actually understand your position. It doesn’t surprise me in the least and I do commend you for sticking to your guns.”

 

“Of course you’re not surprised,” Joe sneered. “It’s what you planned, isn’t it? Getting them both under your thumb, isolating them from their family and friends so they're easier to manipulate? I’ve seen this shit before.”

 

“Considering you are the only member of their support network who hasn’t shown, if not support, at least acceptance, I’d call that a pretty poor plan.” His tone dripped with derision. “I didn’t  _ plan _ any of this, Detective. None of us did. Although, if you’re really itching to assign blame, you should know that everything, from day one, has been Iris’ idea.” He smirked suggestively. “She can be quite persuasive.”

 

“You seriously expect me to buy that?” Joe snapped, looking even more unhappy at the suggestion Iris was behind this particular headache.

 

“I’m aware of how unbelievable this whole situation is. No one was more surprised by this than I was.”

 

“Oh, I think I got you beat there,” Joe scoffed. He leaned forward on his elbows, his anger making a muscle near his temple twitch. “So, what? You realised Iris was interested and figured you’d use it to your advantage?” Joe’s glare somehow darkened even further when Len smirked and suppressed a snort. “You think that’s funny?”

 

“Considering the fact that when Iris showed an interest I told her if she was smart she’d stay the hell away from me? Yes, I do find it amusing.” He dropped the smirk, becoming more serious. “I made it clear, in no uncertain terms, exactly what she was getting herself into. She made her choice. So did Barry.” A hint of steel slipped into his tone towards the end.

 

“And I’m just supposed to accept that?” Joe sneered. “I’m supposed to just let my kids get involved with a criminal?”

 

“I expect you to accept that they’re both intelligent, consenting adults who made an informed decision,” Len countered succinctly. Joe remained unimpressed.

 

“Part of being a parent is helping your kids see when they’re making a stupid-ass decision. I wasn’t born yesterday, Snart. I know you’ve got some angle here and it sure as hell ain’t having their best interests at heart.”

 

Len slowly sipped his coffee, his cold gaze never leaving Joe. He radiated calm and control, yet there was also a stiffness to his movements, a level of calculation that bordered on excessive. If Joe didn’t know any better, he’d have said the thief was nervous.

 

“You may not believe that I genuinely care about them, and, quite frankly, I don’t give a damn whether or not you do. I didn’t come here for your acceptance or your blessing.”

 

“Good, ‘cause you ain’t gettin’ it.”

 

“I came here,” Len plowed past Joe’s growled interjection, “because your children are hurting and they don’t deserve it.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Joe demanded, his scowl twisting in confusion.

 

“You haven’t spoken to either of them in weeks. A childish response, honestly. You have a problem with me, we all get that, and like I said, I understand your position.” Len leaned forward, his icy eyes boring into Joe’s to make absolutely sure his point was getting across. “But that doesn’t mean you get to take your anger at  _ me _ out on  _ them _ . They don’t deserve it, and if it keeps up, you  **will** lose them.” As Len spoke, Joe’s demeanor had shifted slightly, the calculating glint of an investigator shining in his eyes.

 

“That sounds like a threat.” Oddly, the statement was more curious than confrontational, something Len seemed to pick up as a small line appeared between his eyebrows.

 

“Just making sure you know the path you’ve set yourself on,” he answered mildly. “I’m hardly the person to be giving this kind of advice; Iris is always telling me I need to communicate more.” He grimaced. “But I do know that in cases like this, silence solves nothing.” His words twisted through the gears of Joe’s mind, narrowing his eyes. Len tilted his head nonchalantly. “Besides, how will you convince them I’m bad news if you don’t talk to them?” The thief leaned back in his seat with a mocking smirk. Joe studied him openly from across the table, struggling to figure out how he felt about the conclusions he was drawing.

 

“I really cannot figure you out,” he admitted finally, leaning back in his own seat and crossing his arms. “Just when I think I know what you’re after, you toss a curveball from the other direction.”

 

“That’s what makes me dangerous,” Len completed the sentiment for him.

 

“It’s what makes you untrustworthy,” Joe amended.

 

“I’m not interested in earning your trust.”

 

“Clearly.” Joe’s well-trained eyes took in every detail, including the fact that Len accepted the scrutiny without shame or fear. “I know I’m not that lucky, but I don’t suppose there is anything I can do that will make you go away?” he asked tiredly.

 

“Sorry, Detective,” Len answered with a shake of his head. “As long as they’ll have me, I’m here to stay.”

 

“That’s what I thought. Can’t blame a father for trying,” Joe sighed.

 

“I’d’ve thought less of you if you hadn’t.”

 

“You know I could just arrest you if I wanted, right?” Joe suddenly stated mildly. Len quirked a brow at him in response. 

 

“But you won’t,” he said confidently. “For the same reason Barry let me walk before.”

 

“Leverage.” Now Joe was smirking darkly in a way that Len did not like. “Except now I know that you do actually care about them. I could put you in cuffs right now and you’d never peep a word about Barry’s secret.”

 

Len’s eyes narrowed. “You sure about that?” he asked softly, a dangerous lilt to his voice.

 

“I’d be betting my family’s lives, so you’re damn right I’m sure.”

 

“So what’s stopping you?” The tension that had been slowly easing returned in full force.

 

“I’m never gonna trust you, Snart,” Joe stated bluntly. “For the things you’ve done, you should be rotting behind bars. But somehow, you’ve got my kids convinced you can do some good...and after today, I don’t believe for a second you’ll actually use your leverage against Barry. Which tells me a lot more than I think you want me to know.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “Eventually, you’re gonna screw up. Your true colours are gonna show and on that day I’ll be there to slap you in cuffs and drag you back where you belong before you can blink.”

 

“And until that day?”

 

“I’ll be watching. Like a hawk. I will know the instant you put a toe out of line. Do I make myself clear?”

  
“Crystal.” Len got smoothly to his feet, replacing his sunglasses. “Talk to your kids, Joe.” With that, he left the diner. Joe watched him leave, unable to shake the feeling he’d just given that man more than he could have hoped for. He pulled out his phone with a sigh. It was a shame he had to get back to work, because he could really use a drink right now.

 

The look on Iris and Barry's faces when they arrived at the house for dinner made the whole ordeal worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope I got Wally and Joe right, writing both of these conversations was exhausting.
> 
> Also, for the record, Len was totally nervous about talking to Joe. Mostly coz he didn't want to fuck things up any more than they were.


	21. Wicked Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings are expressed and promises are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, I lost my mojo for a bit.
> 
> The timing jumps around a little, as does the POV, I just really wanted to write Iris punching Rip for some reason.

The elevator doors opened to the echoes of a cacophony. Iris frowned in confusion as she made her brisk way down the corridor, the indistinct voices soon forming sentences as they bounced off the walls.

 

“-E’S FUCKING THE FLASH!”

 

“You seriously didn’t know?”

 

“No, I did not know that adorable stick of a nerd was THE GODDAMN FLASH, or I woulda smacked some FUCKING SENSE INTO HIM!” The unhappy shouts were most definitely coming from Mick Rory. Iris’ heartbeat quickened with her pace at the thought that Len and his crew had finally returned.

 

“Guess that explains why he turned down Vostok in the eighties.”

 

“How long has this even been goin’ on?”

 

“Yeah, I mean, I don’t know Barry that well, but how did he even end up dating his nemesis?”

 

“Yes, I would very much like to know how the timeline got so twisted that two of the most iconic adversaries in history are now, apparently, lovers!” The last voice was clearly english and Iris rounded the corner to see it belonged to an unfamiliar bearded man in a trenchcoat. “This needs to be rectified.”

 

“Iris!” Cisco squeaked at the sight of her, but it was too late. The british man turned at the engineer’s exclamation just in time to meet Iris’ fist with his jaw. The hit split his lip and sent him sprawling, allowing Iris to stand over him menacingly.

 

“If you even think about messing with our relationship I will strap you down and use Len’s gun to slowly freeze off  _ every last one  _ of your appendages. Is that understood?” she hissed down at him, one blood-red fingernail stabbing down inches above his face.

 

“Yes, ma’am,” he responded shakily, a little cross-eyed as he tried to watch her finger. 

 

“So that’s the girlfriend, huh? I like her!” the blonde in white who was most likely Sara Lance piped up with an amused smirk.

 

“Of course you do, you two could start a ‘Beautiful Badasses’ club,” Cisco remarked absently as he tapped away at one of the computers. He paused as he realised what he’d just said, the amused yet intrigued look Sara was giving him making him blush behind a curtain of hair. Meanwhile, Iris had abandoned the downed captain and scanned the room for a face that was painfully missing.

 

“Where is he?” she demanded of the room at large. Cisco hastily tapped at the keyboard again.

 

“Barry flashed him out of here to have a ‘talk’ iiiiiinn….Harry’s room.”

 

Iris turned on her heel and headed back to the way she’d come, ignoring Harry’s comments about needing to disinfect later. Her heart was hammering and her mind was an absolute mess of conflicting emotions. Len was alive and he was  _ back _ . 

* * *

 

It was a surprise when sleep didn’t come. Len was absolutely drained, both from the short yet harrowing encounter with the time wraith and the intense sex that followed. Len had had angry sex before, but never where he was  _ tag-teamed _ and those two had been merciless. He was quite proud of them.

 

But now he lay awake, wedged firmly between his lovers, both clinging to him as though afraid he would disappear. Considering how he’d slipped away before, it wasn’t an entirely unfounded fear. Iris’ hair was tickling his nose and Barry was inhumanly warm, yet Len couldn’t remember ever being more comfortable. The physical ache of missing them may have been gone, but it had been replaced by other worries.

 

“Should I stay?” The words were a soft murmur, barely audible, but he felt Iris shift languidly against him.

 

“Can you?” she asked just as softly. It was said without emotion, judgement or imperative. Just an honest question. 

 

He wanted to stay. To be quite frank, he never wanted to leave the bed, wanted only to remain surrounded by two of the most important people in his life. He wanted to feel the thrum of Barry’s heartbeat and the soft caress of Iris’ breath against his skin forever. But he couldn’t. All his reasons for leaving in the first place were still there, still valid, as much as he ached to ignore them. And now he had even more reasons to go. Seven reasons, to be exact.

 

His team needed him. Mick needed someone to keep him in check, pointed in the right direction, and Len had no doubt he would murder Rip inside of a week without Len there to calm him. Jax needed someone to keep an eye on him and to drag him out of the fire when necessary. The kid had guts but not the experience to put them to the best use, although neither did Stein, for that matter. Ray would get himself killed without someone to tell him when he was being an idiot. The ladies were more than capable of taking care of themselves, but even they occasionally needed someone level-headed and competent watching their backs. And Sarah was his friend, he wasn’t going to let their captain get her killed or send her back down the path of darkness she’d fought tooth and nail to leave behind.

 

Somewhere along the way, they had become  **_his_ ** _ crew. _ And so, despite his better judgement, he was committed to seeing this hare-brained mission through. 

 

“No. I can’t.”

 

“That’s what I thought,” Iris responded softly, resigned.

 

“I don’t want to.”

 

“We know,” Barry whispered, pressing a soothing kiss to the side of Len’s head. “But you can’t just walk away, either.” Len slipped his fingers between the ones Barry had splayed on his chest, his arm around Iris pulling her closer.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t be,” Iris murmured into his chest. “You’re fighting for what’s important to you.”

 

"We’re actually really proud of you,” Barry added. 

 

“Good, because this is all your influence,” Len mock-grumbled, trying to ignore the unexpected blush that the thought of earning their pride triggered. The speedster chuckled softly.

 

“Although I gotta say, this situation wasn’t quite what I had in mind when I said there was good in you.”

 

“If you’d actually had him running off on a time-travelling spaceship to save the world in mind, I’d say you’ve spent a dangerous amount of time around Cisco,” Iris quipped dryly. Barry huffed a laugh and Len felt a wave of affection swell within him, basking in the familiarity of their banter and the heady knowledge of their pride. That feeling grew, threatening to spill out his lips as it washed over his tongue, and for the first time, Len didn’t fight it down, didn’t hide it away for fear of showing weakness. Because it wasn’t weakness. These two made him strong, stronger than he thought possible. So he didn’t tamp the feeling down, but embraced it and any consequence that came from it. 

 

“I love you.” Just a soft whisper, said without expression or expectation.

 

He’d closed his eyes, so he didn’t see their surprised faces, but he did hear their breath hitch, felt them both move suddenly after a tense moment and heard the hard knock of two skulls connecting and matching cries of pain. Leonard opened his eyes to see them both clutching their heads and looking rather sheepish. It appeared they had both tried to kiss him and connected with each other in the middle. Len can’t help it, he laughed.

 

“Remind me again why we love you too?” Barry grumbled with a pout as Iris shut Len up with her intended kiss. The moment she pulled back, Barry took her place while Iris watched with a misty-eyed grin.

 

“We do love you. Even when you’re being a jerk,” she added, swatting him lightly on the shoulder.

 

“Does this mean I’m out of the doghouse?” Len asked through a euphoric grin as Barry pulled away to give Iris a quick kiss as well. 

 

“No, there's only one way you are getting out of there,” Iris chided. She settled back against his side, her palm resting over his heart. 

 

“Oh?” Len asked as Barry did the same on his other side, one hand resting on top of Iris’.

 

“By coming back to us in one piece.”

 

Len didn’t respond for a moment, fighting the thickening of his throat as he placed his hand over theirs and squeezed. “Well then I guess it’s a good thing the medbay can regrow limbs.”

 

“Don’t joke,” Barry admonished, frowning. And then, after a beat; “Seriously?”

 

Len smirked and raised his right hand. “Lost this escaping one of the Time Master’s bounty hunters.” No need to tell them just yet about the whole Mick/Chronos debacle. “You didn’t notice?” 

 

“You’ve gotta be kidding!” Iris exclaimed as Barry grabbed the offended limb to examine it, noting no significant deviations beyond a lack of calluses. “I’m not sure if this makes me feel better or worse.”

 

“I’ll be in one piece, I can promise you that.” He sealed the ardent promise with a kiss to her crown and one to Barry’s brow.

 

“We’ll hold you to that,” Barry swore, twining the fingers of the hand he held, pressing it to his lips.

 

“As long as you come home,” Iris added as she snuggled closer. 

* * *

  
  


_ Some time later… _

 

The device is burning beneath Leonard’s hands as the Time Masters point their guns at him.

 

“There are no strings on me,” he sneers, but inside, he’s saying goodbye.

  
_ Lisa...Barry...Iris...I’m sorry...I love y- _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm horrible, I know. But I can't really finish this until I know how the season ends, so this is what you get for now.


	22. Lost in Crime and Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> News arrives from some unexpected sources.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a while for me to figure out where I wanted to go now that both LoT and Flash have finished.  
> Still umming and ahhing about how evil I want to be, I'm not sure how much more angst I can handle.

Honestly, Iris had expected something like this since Henry had been killed. Despite all the support around him, Barry seemed to be unable to escape the belief that he had to carry his burdens alone. He needed space and she was confident she’d made it clear that when he was ready, she’d be there. But their conversation still weighed on her mind, some niggling sense that there was something she’d missed. 

Iris hadn’t been inside for more than ten seconds when Cisco jolted suddenly in his seat. Caitlin and Wally, seated either side of him, jumped in surprise as the engineer abruptly went rigid, his eyes wide and unseeing. Joe shushed Wally’s half formed questions as they waited nervously for Cisco to come out of the vibe. Seconds ticked by, but Cisco continued to sit there, vacantly staring into nothingness and trembling.

 

“Guys, I don’t think this is a normal vibe,” Caitlin said cautiously after a minute had passed. “I’m pretty sure they don’t usually last this long.”

 

“Cisco?” Wally snapped his fingers in front of Cisco’s blank eyes. “C’mon, snap out of it.”

 

“We should get him to the lab,” Joe decided, although he looked to Caitlin for confirmation as he stood. Caitlin nodded in agreement.

 

“I’ll run some tests, try to figure out what’s wrong.” She stepped aside so Joe could scoop Cisco up, the group making haste to the STARlabs van Cisco and Caitlin had arrived in. Iris noted that Barry was nowhere to be seen, although considering their earlier conversation, that was hardly surprising. She pulled out her phone to call him in the car, frowning a little when it went to voicemail. She left a message and hoped he’d see it soon.

 

At STARlabs, Caitlin was tightlipped as she examined Cisco, flitting back and forth between her patient and the lab equipment. Occasionally she muttered to herself, and Iris was fairly certain she heard at least one utterance of how this would be easier if Harry were here. The West family watched her nervously from the doorway, almost identical looks of worry on their faces.

 

“He gonna be ok?” Wally asked tentatively.

 

“I don’t know,” Caitlin snapped, although the worry in her own voice took all the bite from her words. ‘The closest thing to this I’ve seen was when he almost died after Barry captured the Reverse Flash.”

 

“But he’s not seizing,” Joe pointed out, confused.

 

“No, but he is experiencing extremely heightened electrical pulses in his brain, only I don’t have a baseline for neurological activity when he’s vibing so I can’t tell if that’s a symptom or a cause.” Caitlin’s frustration was clear as her voice raised during her explanation.

 

“Hey,” Iris said soothingly, stepping up to place a calming hand on Caitlin’s shoulder, who slumped a little into the touch. “If anyone can figure this out, it’s you.” Caitlin gave her a slightly watery smile and stood a little straighter, determination replacing the panic in her eyes. 

 

Iris stepped back out of her way, pausing at Cisco’s bedside to lightly squeeze his hand. He couldn’t feel it, but the contact would back Iris feel better. Her heart almost stopped when his hand suddenly clutched hers back in a deathgrip. Iris and Caitlin both shrieked a little as Cisco shot up, panting heavily and his eyes wild as he took in his surroundings. His grip on Iris was getting painful, but she couldn’t bear to make him let go, not when he looked so scared.

 

“Barry, where’s Barry?” he demanded of the room at large.

 

“We don’t know, he’s not answering his phone,” Iris informed him, her gut twisting with the implications of his question. “Did you see him, is he ok?”

 

“No,” Cisco shook his head, “I didn’t see him, but...” His gaze met Iris’ reluctantly. “I saw Snart...I think.”

 

“You think?” Iris’ face scrunched up in confusion. “Cisco, what did you see?” Cisco sighed and rubbed his face in frustration.

 

“I’m not even a hundred percent on what I saw. This, it wasn’t like any of my other vibes. It’s hard to explain, but when I vibe it’s like I’m  _ there _ , standing in the room while stuff happens around me.” He took a deep breath, his brow furrowed like he was trying to make sense of his own experience. “But this time...there was no room. No ground, no sky, no _ air _ .” The others in the room couldn’t really imagine it but they all still sucked in a breath in sympathy. “It was like drowning in green smoke, like someone threw me and the Mist in a washing machine, only less pleasant and with more screaming.”

 

“But you said you thought you saw Len?” Iris prompted, the twist of anxiety and fear in her gut growing tighter with every word he spoke.

 

“I think so?” Cisco admitted, looking both uncertain and apologetic. “It was weird, like, he was there in front of me, but he was also in the green stuff all around me and I’m pretty sure it was him I heard screaming.”

 

“Cisco, you’re not making a whole lotta sense,” Joe said gently.

 

“Well, if my brain felt a little less like King Shark used it as a chew-toy,” Cisco griped, finally releasing Iris’ arm to rub his head. “...actually I probably still wouldn’t be making any sense. Who needs LSD when you have superpowers?” he quipped sarcastically.

 

“Maybe we should let you get some rest?” Caitlin suggested, but Cisco was waving her off before she even finished, hopping down off the bed to pace. 

 

“No, look, I know I can’t explain it that well, but  **_know_ ** it was him, it was Snart. And he needs our help.” He looked to Iris as he spoke, his eyes apologetic and imploring.

 

“But how?” she asked. 

 

“What about your goggles?” Joe piped up. “Maybe you could use them to, I dunno, get another look, maybe a better idea of the situation?”

 

“Yes!” Cisco exclaimed, snapping his fingers and jogging out of the room in search of his goggles. Joe noticed all the looks the others were giving them. He sighed.

 

“Look, I may not like the guy, but Snart...Leonard is important to you. I’ll help if I can,” he told Iris. She felt her eyes moisten, the unexpected support from her father and the reality of what Cisco’s vibe could mean combined with everything they’d had to deal with in the last few days crumbling the last of her emotional struts. Wordlessly, Joe pulled her into a hug that she sagged into gratefully, the solid presence of her father a welcome balm to her frazzled nerves. 

 

“I’ll try get a hold of Barry for you,” Wally offered, patting her shoulder in a slightly awkward but well-meant gesture.

 

“Thank you,” she said a little thickly, giving him a small, watery smile. 

 

Cisco trotted back into the room with his goggles in hand, making a beeline for one of the workbenches, rummaging through the mess of tools and tech as he muttered to himself. Caitlin went to join him, offering to help however she could. Between those two, and Wally once he’d failed to get through to Barry, they had made the hopefully appropriate adjustments inside of twenty minutes. They set him up in a chair, hooked up to some medical equipment so Caitlin could monitor him. Iris noticed the way his hands shook as he placed the glowing visor over his eyes. She thought back on the way he’d described the place he’d vibed to. The thought of going back there couldn’t have been pleasant and he was going anyway in the hope of getting somebody he didn’t even like out of there. She moved to stand by him, placing a hand on his wrist to stall him from flipping a switch.

 

“Hey, Cisco?” she said softly. “Thank you for doing this. I know it’s not exactly a walk in the park for you.”

 

“Well, y’know, Lisa would kick my ass if I left her big bro hanging,” he deflected, but she could see in his smile that he appreciated the gesture. “Besides,  _ Captain Cold _ is gonna owe me one. No way I’m passing that up.” He patted her hand. “Don’t worry, we’ll get him back. Central City will be fearing for it’s valuables again in no time.”

 

“You’re the best, Cisco.”

 

“And don’t y’all forget it.” She backed away, giving him space. “All right. Once more unto the breach, dear friends!” he quoted dramatically, flipping the switch and falling into the vibe.

 

“You still with us, Cisco?” Wally asked after a few tense seconds, chewing his thumbnail nervously.

 

“Yeah, but I gotta tell ya, really not enjoying feeling like the Mist’s dirty laundry again.”

 

“Is he there?” Iris asked. “Do you see him?”

 

“Snart!” Cisco yelled suddenly, making them all jump a little. “What happened? Why are you here?” There was a pause, presumably Cisco receiving a response. “Occulus? What? I don’t understand. What? What about the others?” There was a noise from outside the room, but Iris ignored it, too focused on the tidbits Cisco provided. Joe went to investigate. “I don’t know, I-ahh!” Cisco ripped the goggles off his face without warning, clearly in a lot of pain.

 

“Are you ok?” Caitlin asked, rushing to his side.

 

“Yeah, just another killer headache liquefying my brain.” 

 

“Did you see him? What did he say?” Iris asked, dreading what the answer might be.

 

“Yeah,” Cisco frowned in concentration. “He said something about ‘Occulus’? Asked if the others made it out, seemed to get hella pissed when I told him I didn’t know.” He thought for a moment, his face scrunched in confusion. “Also, I’m pretty sure he just kicked me out of my own vibe.”

 

“Is it true?!” They all turned at the new voice, all recognising Mick’s distinctive rumble. “He might be alive?” He strode across the room, making for Cisco, but Iris got in the way.

 

“What the hell happened, Mick?” she demanded, planting herself in his way, her fury clear on her face. “Why is Cisco vibing Len?”

 

“We came here to tell you,” Jax piped up from behind Mick, having followed the pyro in, Ray and Joe at his sides. “The Time Masters, they had this device that let them manipulate time however they wanted, and they were working with Savage. It had to be destroyed.”

 

“The Occulus?” Cisco asked. 

 

“Yeah,” Ray answered. “There was a fail-safe, though. Someone had to stay behind.” The implications of that were clear.

 

“He wouldn’t let me do it,” Mick added softly, looking down at Iris with more emotion in his eyes than she had ever seen. Grief and apology were written all over his face, undercut by a tiny hint of hope. She looked to Cisco.

 

“But you saw him, you spoke to him. That means he survived, right?” she demanded, her voice trembling dangerously.

 

“I guess. I don’t vibe the past, just present and future.” He paused, uncertain. “So far.” 

 

“If he’s alive, we gotta help him!” Jax insisted.

 

“Well, duh, but so far we don’t have much to go on,” Cisco pointed out. “‘Glowy green tornado’ isn’t exactly something you can just punch into the GPS.”

 

“What, like the Temporal Zone?” Ray piped up.

 

“I’m sorry, the what now?” Joe asked, looking confused.

 

“I always thought it was more like a glowy green river,” Jax countered.

 

“But, like, a river without banks?” Cisco hedged, realisation dawning.

 

“Yeah,” Jax agreed with a nod.

 

“What, so he’s somehow stuck in the Temporal Zone?” Mick wondered. Cisco shook his head.

  
“Honestly? It felt more like he  _ was _ the Temporal Zone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm cutting it there because I'm an asshole. Also I have two possible paths for resolving this and I haven't made up my mind yet. Hopefully the next chapter won't be far away.


	23. Time Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A beacon in the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me preface this by saying two things:  
> Firstly, I know this is short, but I actually have the next few chapters planned out and the next part didn't fit in with this at all, so I cut it here.  
> Secondly, how Cisco described his vibe in the last chapter is very different to what Leonard perceives, because what Cisco sees is being filtered through his senses. 
> 
> I understand if this chapter is very hard to follow, it is very difficult to build a narrative out of abstract concepts. I tried. If it still doesn't make sense, let me know in the comments and I'll add an author's note at the end explaining what is happening.

He is in hell. 

That was the only explanation for this torture. His very being was fractured, shattered into a thousand pieces held together only by his blazing nerves. Unrelenting forces whipped him around like sand in a storm, leaving his fragments raw, exposed, screaming. His will alone held the pieces close, kept the lock of his nerves tight, let him remember that he was human, once, at least. He clung to images, memories, the taste of ozone and chocolate on his tongue, a little girl’s joyous laughter in his ears, the scent of smoke and snow in his nose, faces frozen in a moment or shifting with the passage of time. Time. Time ceased to exist to him, no longer able to tell a second from a decade. All he knew was the pain of his shattered self and the knowledge that the faces in his memories were important. Even if he could not remember why. 

 

Suddenly, stillness. The maelstrom slowed around him, leaving his pieces suspended, drifting. The blessed calm was a balm to his unfathomable pain and now he saw the truth surrounding him. Fragments, just like himself, all connected, all twisting and tangling as they flowed together. Through every shard of himself he saw a thousand other pieces, saw every moment they had known, knew every other fragment they had touched on their journey. He knew every choice they had made, knew every consequence they could not know. He saw the instants when universes divided, when worlds ceased to be. The part of him that once called itself human wanted to weep at the sheer terrifying beauty of it all. He knew he was only barely able to comprehend the tiniest sliver of what he was being exposed to, yet that was enough to drive him to the edge of insanity. He could feel his will slipping; the more he perceived, the more pieces of himself he lost. The senses in his memories melded together, the faces blurring until they were barely smudges of colour. He felt the shards of himself slipping, slipping, slipping….

 

A beacon in the madness. A brilliant pulse drew the focus of his fragments like a magnet, grounding him with a stab of memory. 

 

Six people in a room. His brother is there, watching his lover tend to her sister’s brother. 

 

The beacon pulses.

 

His sister is not there but his lovers are, being teased by their brother who is his sister’s lover.

 

The beacon pulses.

 

His lovers’ brother is his sister’s lover is his brother’s lover’s brother is-

 

Cisco.

 

The beacon pulses. Cisco Ramon is calling his name.

 

His name.

 

Leonard Snart.

 

His memories hit him like a sledgehammer. Lisa. Iris and Barry. Mick and Sara. The team. The Occulus.

 

The beacon pulses. 

 

Mick and Sara. The team. Did they run? Did they survive? He searched every shard he touched but he could not see, the beacon was too bright.

 

The beacon pulses. It cannot lead him to them. It is too bright, it is blinding him to the twisting, flowing web of the fragments. 

 

The beacon is in his way. He has to know. He is already in hell, there will be no greater consequence.

 

The beacon pulses. Leonard pushes.

 

The unrelenting force returned with a vengeance as the beacon winked out of existence, tearing at the fibers of his will, but he held fast. He remembered the faces, they were important, he had to know. The pain is all encompassing, but now that he knows they’re there, he can make out the chaotic tumble of particles, fighting the current to follow the threads until he finds it, the single shard of existence that has somehow touched them all. But something is wrong; it is warping, simultaneously bombarded by a dozen other particles and at the same time static, untouched. It’s constant state of flux sends out ripples, infinitesimal shockwaves that he can feel washing through him, trying to twist and change him. The roaring current had already taken so much of him, what essence the beacon had drawn together scattered and barely connected once more. He can’t allow the ripples to change him. 

 

As long as it is there, this one shard that warps and binds, the faces are not lost. He knows this, lets the knowledge strengthen his will. They are important and they are not lost. The torture of this hell is bearable as long as he can hold on to that knowledge.

 

The beacon pulses.

 

It’s back, and now it is a force unto itself, bringing the rushing particles to a jarring halt and dragging him towards it like a black hole. He cast out his pieces like a net, trying to find something, anything to anchor him so he would not lose the vital shard. He needed it, needed to know that they were not lost, that he was not lost. 

 

The beacon pulses.

 

His pieces are wretched together and he remembers, remembers a name, a face, a voice that is screaming out to him across this hellish void. The voice is the beacon that’s pulling him, every piece it gathers infusing him with a new memory. He absorbs them greedily and stops fighting the beacon as he finally recognizes it for what it is; his salvation. 

 

The beacon pulses.

 

Leonard Snart remembers his name, remembers what happened to him. He understands where he is and what is happening. Somehow, a metahuman who barely understands his own power is using it to stitch the essence of Leonard’s existence back together through sheer force of will. The scream he can hear is real and it echoes with agony as it tears Leonard from the space between existence. 

 

The beacon pulses. It is weakening.

 

Leonard’s shards have come together to form fingertips that reach out blindly for the beacon’s source, the only help he can offer the young man trying to free him. He brushes against something, and if the shards are a web then this is the spider, tuned in to every minuscule vibration in the strands. He feels it snare him, feels it lock him together so he is no longer a gathering of pieces, but whole.

 

The beacon dims. 

 

Leonard opens eyes that were once shattered and tries to comprehend a sense he once forgot he had. There before him is a face, shaking so hard it’s almost a blur and blood pouring from it’s nose down it’s chin. Newly reassembled synapses fire and he remembers that face.

  
“Cisco?” His voice sounds like grinding rocks and it’s a good thing his hindbrain remembered how to breath because he’d certainly forgotten. Cisco smiled, bright and bloody, right before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed. Leonard was vaguely aware of the presence of others, those faces that had held him together through his ordeal, but he doesn’t even have the chance to recognise them before his vision darkened and he followed Cisco into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the wait, I got caught up in Killerwave Week, but now we are back on track!


	24. Bad Timing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry, Iris and Len are reunited.

Iris was pacing in clear agitation when Barry skidded to a halt in the cortex, carrying Harry, of all people. The look of absolute relief of her face as she rushed to hug him was quickly eclipsed by anger as she smacked his shoulder. 

 

“Where the hell have you been?” Iris demanded. “We’ve been trying to get a hold of you for hours!”

 

“It’s kind of a long story,” Barry responded apologetically, rubbing the back of his neck. Behind them, Harry had moved to one of the cortex’s computers and was rapidly looking up seemingly random scraps of history.

 

“Congratulations, Allen,” he said mildly, without looking up. “Consider your mess officially cleaned up.” 

 

“Really?” Barry visibly sagged in relief, all the fear and apprehension he’d been carrying evaporating with Harry’s words.

 

“There’ll be a few...minor discrepancies to the timeline, but as far as I can tell it’s all pretty much back on track.” He looked up with a sardonic smile. “You’re welcome.”

 

“Thank you, Harry, for everything,” Barry said sincerely. He didn’t know what he would have done without Harry to tell him that his memories were real, that he wasn’t delusional. At least the insanity of the timeline he’d created had helped him to appreciate all the more the life he had, despite its hardships.

 

“Wait, the timeline?” Iris interjected, stepping back to look between them with a frown. Suddenly, she just looked achingly tired. “You know what? Never mind, you fixed it and we have slightly more pressing things to deal with. Like the fact that our boyfriend got himself trapped in some kind of existential limbo that only Cisco can get him o-”

 

“I’m sorry, our WHAT?” Barry interrupted, his voice going up an octave. He couldn’t possibly have heard her right.

 

“Our boyfriend, Len,” Iris confirmed firmly, although a hint of concern crept onto her face.

 

“Our, as in both of us, are dating…” Barry tried to ask, his hands flailing a little as he gestured between them, watching Iris’ concern grow steadily with every word, nodding slowly but clearly troubled that she had to. He looked to Harry in the hope of an explanation.

 

“Minor discrepancy,” Harry replied with a shrug, entirely unsympathetic. “If I were you, I’d take the unexpected polyamorous relationship over being indirectly responsible for the fall of civilisation.” He paused, observing the confused and concerned pair as though they were an interesting experiment. “Besides, I was under the impression you two were on your way to being in a relationship anyway.”

 

“What are you talking about, ‘on our way’? We’ve been together for months,” Iris stated slowly, making it clear this was something they should know. She looked to Barry for support, but he could give her none. He was still reeling from the idea that, not only was he with Iris, but there was a third person in their relationship. He had no idea who this ‘Len’ guy could be, let alone how Barry and Iris wound up dating him. “You don’t...you really don’t remember?” Iris’ face crumbled as he shook his head sadly, breaking his heart much like hers must be breaking right now. He rushed to her side.

 

“But, hey, hey,” he soothed her, cupping her jaw gently so she would look up at him. “This isn’t the first time I’ve changed the timeline. And even though, at first, I didn’t remember the changes, eventually my memories did sync back up. This time I might’ve changed years instead of months, so it might take a while but I will remember. I swear,  _ I will remember _ !” 

 

“Good,” Iris said, a little shakily, placing a hand over one of the ones on he had on her jaw, resting their foreheads together. “Because, after everything that’s happened, I can’t take losing you too.” She wiped some of the moisture threatening to spill from her eyes. “I don’t even know for sure if we’ll get Len back.”

 

“Hey, if Cisco’s on it, then there’s no doubt,” Barry insisted, pulling her into a comforting embrace that she gladly fell into. “He once saved my life with a vacuum cleaner and some LEDs. He’s got this.”

 

“Where is he?” Harry asked, reminding them of his presence. “Maybe I can help?”

 

“That’s sweet of you, Harry, but it’s not a science thing, it’s a powers thing,” Iris explained. “It’s good to have you back, by the way.”

 

“Good to be back,” he answered with a small smile. “Goodness knows the trouble you all can get into when I leave for five minutes,” he added with a pointed look at Barry, who grimaced.

 

“So,” Barry said, in hope of deflecting any questions regarding his ill-advised trip through time. “We’re, uh, we’re really in a three person relationship?”

 

“Yeah,” Iris confirmed with a watery smile. “You took some convincing, but…” she trailed off as the sound of rushing feet reached their ears. The three of them turned to find a rather unusual group stampeding into the cortex.

 

Mick and Ray were at the forefront, each with an unconscious prone body in their arms. Cisco looked haggard and frail in Ray’s arms, the lower half of his face liberally coated in dried blood. Mick carried a decidedly naked Leonard Snart, Mick’s jacket wrapped around his waist being the only thing protecting his modesty. Caitlin kept pace with Mick and Ray, an impressive feat considering their long strides and her high heels. She barked instructions at the two carriers, who followed them wordlessly, making a beeline for the cortex’s medical lab and the cots that saw a depressing amount of use. Jax and Lisa Snart brought up the rear, Lisa following until Caitlin told her to stop, needing space to work on her patients. Jax approached the cortex’s occupants, apparently volunteering himself to provide the explanation they had rightfully demanded at the group’s entry.

 

“Don’t worry, they’re alive,” the mechanic assured them calmly. “As far as we can tell, Snart’s just unconscious. Cisco was seizing but he stopped as soon as we got back.” 

 

Harry jumped when Caitlin called to him, trotting over to assist her. Iris moved to stand at Lisa’s side, taking the other girl’s hand, to Barry’s surprise, in a gesture of solidarity and support. Even more surprising was the way Lisa clutched her back. The thief’s eyes yoyoed back and forth between the two beds, her face pinched with worry but apparently unable to decide which man she worried for more. Iris, meanwhile, hadn’t taken her eyes off Snart.

 

“What happened?” Barry asked, bewildered. Although the question was more general, Jax assumed he was asking about their mission.

 

“I’m not really sure, man, all I did was drive the jumpship. I can tell you this though, the Temporal Zone  **does not** agree with Cisco. Bringing Len back almost killed him.”

 

Len. Barry looked back at the way Iris watched Snart, hovering near the cots, holding Lisa’s hand like they were old friends. Of course they were, because Iris  _ and Barry _ were dating her brother. A lot of things suddenly made a twisted kind of sense, namely how comfortable everyone was around the notorious criminals. Hell, Ray had his hand on Mick’s shoulder like he was comforting a friend, and Heatwave was  _ allowing it _ . 

 

“I’m dating Leonard Snart?” Barry murmured in stunned bewilderment. Jax, who had been watching Barry’s conclusions play out on his face with increasing befuddlement, gave a very confused frown as he nodded. 

 

“Yeah, I’m kinda surprised you’re not over there, with them.” Jax gestured to the two women holding vigil.

 

“I...it’s complicated,” Barry obfuscated with a shake of his head.

 

“Well, the last time I saw you, you were kissing him goodbye, so unless something’s happened between now and then…”

 

“Oh, you have no idea,” Barry sighed. “I just, I need to get some air.”

 

It was at that moment that Leonard abruptly sat bolt upright. Barry froze at the sight of the other man’s panicked expression, watching as Lisa and Iris rushed to his side. Len instinctively pulled them close, shaking hands running over hair and faces as he whispered to himself.

 

“You’re real, not a memory, you’re real, you’re really here.” The litany was heartbreaking, sending Lisa half on the bed, clutching as close to her brother as humanly possibly. Iris pressed teary kisses to his face, as if determined to prove to every one of his senses that she was really there. And then Len’s eyes found Barry. 

 

That gaze tore through him, loaded with a potent mix of emotion, the most prominent of which was blatantly love. Barry felt himself begin to shake. He didn’t know what to do. Len was looking at him like he was a lost treasure and Barry had know idea how to handle that. He wasn’t the man Len remembered, he wasn’t the man he had somehow come to love. Barry felt like an imposter, and he did the only thing he could think of in his panic. 

  
He ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you may have noticed I completely skipped the Flashpoint mess, y'all can imagine whatever you want for how that went down. Just know that Harry came back for a visit, arrived in the flashpoint timeline and was all 'What the Fuck, Barry?' and helped him fix that shit.
> 
> In case it's unclear, this story is the timeline that resulted from Barry fixing the mistake he made at the end of season 2. This was going to be even angstier, but I felt bad about it.
> 
> I also feel the need to reassure everyone that fluff and cuddles are most definitely my end-game, this is just me fixing canon's mess.


	25. Return of the Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len is back, but all is not as it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!  
> Sorry for the delay, I took a break from writing for a while.

Barry’s sudden departure felt like it left a vacuum in it’s wake. Len gave a little gasp, as though the wind had been sucked from his lungs and Iris felt a little winded herself; the ecstasy of seeing Len awake and alive suddenly snatched away by the reminder that Barry was still lost. Her gentle fingers turned Len’s jaw so he would look at her and not the empty space Barry had occupied, his question clear in his eyes.

 

“He’ll be back,” she whispered in a fervent promise. Their foreheads rested together automatically, both taking comfort in the tactile reminder of each other’s presence. “He’s just...been through a lot. He’ll be back, I promise.”

 

Len let out a long shaking breath. “I know,” he responded just as softly, his voice a rough rasp that reminded Iris that Cisco had said he'd heard screaming in his vibe. Oddly, Len stiffened after he spoke, a slow look of realisation spreading across his face. “I  _ know _ …” he repeated, awe and wonder in his tone. He looked around the room frantically.

 

“Lenny, what's wrong?” Lisa asked, finally pulling her tear-stained face away from her brother's chest.

 

“I need, I need,” he muttered, one hand gesturing uselessly as he tried to find the words. He snapped his fingers suddenly. “Paper! Get me some paper!” 

 

“What, why do you want paper?” Iris asked gently, alarmed by the sudden shift in his demeanor.

 

“I need to write it down, now, before I forget.”

 

“Write what down? What are you afraid you’ll forget?” 

 

“Get me some paper and I can write it down for you!” Normally the sass would have been annoying, but it was the first time he'd sounded like himself since he woke up so Iris felt more relieved than anything else.

 

“Will this do?” Harry dropped a tablet and stylus into Len's lap, which the thief snatched up eagerly and began to scribble with fervor. Iris tried to make sense of what he was writing, but it didn’t look like anything close to English. She recognised a few characters and symbols from half a dozen different alphabets, all thrown together in what seemed to be a meaningless jumble. But Len just kept writing as if it was his native tongue, a look of near manic concentration on his face.

 

“Lenny?” Lisa said tentatively. “What are you writing?”

 

“It’s...ugh, I’ll know once I’ve written it down!” he snapped, his frustration at the interruption and his own inability to articulate clear. He sighed, his hand never ceasing in its frenzied movements, his eyes never leaving the tablet. “Just let me write, then ask questions.”

 

Silence fell as the room shared collective concerned looks. 

 

“What language is that?” Ray asked after a long, worried pause. Iris looked up to see that Harry had set up one of the larger monitors to display what Len was writing to the room.

 

“All of them,” Len and Harry answered in unison, Leonard absently and Harry in fascination. 

 

“It’s incredible,” Harry continued, his eyes glued to the screen. “None of the characters belong together, but…” He paused, then pointed at one of the symbols. “This glyph, it roughly translates to ‘manipulation’, or at least it does on my Earth. And on the same line, you have this word.” He pointed to a word that was made up of at least three different alphabets. “When pronounced phonetically, this spells ‘dimension’.”

 

“So it’s not just gibberish?” Mick grunted from where he stood in the corner, looking somewhere between deeply troubled and mildly irritated.

 

“Oh, no, he’s definitely saying  _ something _ . I just can’t tell you what.”

 

The others kept talking, Harry and Ray swapping theories, but Iris just sat and watched Len. He looked painfully tense, his hand the only part of him moving, his breathing short and harsh. She placed a tentative hand on his shoulder and felt him lean into it. Iris mimicked Lisa and got onto the bed, sitting on Len’s other side and curling into his side as much as his position would allow. He gave a shaky little sigh as Lisa and Iris nestled close, his breathing evening out a little. Mick watched them all silently from his corner, his brow furrowed.

 

Time went by and Len just kept writing. Lisa moved to Cisco’s side once he woke up, swinging back and forth between thanking him for saving Len and berating him for putting himself in danger. Once her duties as a doctor had been fulfilled, Caitlin quietly pulled Mick away to talk in another room. Jax left, apparently to share the news with the rest of their team. Harry and Ray moved to another lab so as not to disturb the patients with their increasingly vigorous theorising regarding Len’s writings. Cisco, as exhausted as he was, had fallen back to sleep not long after he’d woken up. Night fell outside, and still Len kept writing. 

 

Iris didn’t know what time it was when he finally put the tablet down and passed out, but all the others had gone home and Lisa was soundly asleep curled up with Cisco. All the lights had been dimmed and the only sound that could be heard was the soft hum of computers that always permeated STARlabs. Iris’ own body clock informed her it was definitely late evening, if not past midnight. Her eyelids threatened to droop, but she wasn’t ready to sleep yet. She didn’t want to close her eyes for fear that this was a dream she might wake from, cold and alone with both her lovers lost to her.

 

“I owe you an apology.”

 

Iris looked up from where she sat sentry on Len’s bed at the sound of the whispered words. Rip Hunter was leaning against the entrance, looking unexpectedly small and vulnerable without his signature trench-coat. She raised her eyebrows in silent inquiry, inviting him to speak his peace. He sighed and pushed off the wall, visibly steeling himself as he crossed the distance between them to occupy the seat that had been placed by the bed. 

 

“This is my fault.” His hands hung between his knees, his shoulders slumped, the picture of defeat. “I should have known about the failsafe. I sent everyone in with a half-baked plan and it is only by a sheer miracle that Mr Snart even survived.” He scrubbed one hand down his face tiredly. Once again, Iris was struck by how vulnerable he appeared. From what she’d seen on their last visit, Captain Hunter was the type of man who clung tightly, if not to actual control, then to the illusion of it. “This isn’t the first time he’s had to fix my mistakes.” A wry, self-deprecating smile twisted his lips. “For a man who claims not to care, he is remarkably dedicated to keeping the team alive and whole. I should have known there was only one way he would allow this to end.” He finally met her eyes, his grey orbs brimming with remorse. “I know the pain of losing those I hold dearest. My actions very nearly took yours from you and for that you have my sincerest apologies.”

 

“While the apology is appreciated,” Iris began quietly. “It’s not necessary. I don’t blame you for any of this, Rip. We all knew your mission was risky. I’m just glad Len managed to cheat death after all.”

 

Rip snorted despite himself. “If it would be anyone, it would be Leonard. If he can’t find a loophole, he bloody makes one.”

 

A smile cracked Iris’s face for the first time in twenty four hours. “My man never does anything without a plan. Even if that plan involves ignoring everyone else’s plan. Even Death’s, apparently.”

 

“Well, it’s nice to know I’m not the only one he largely ignores.”

 

Iris found herself chuckling lowly. Next to her, Leonard shifted in his sleep, but didn’t wake. It might not have been his original intention, but Rip had managed to cheer her up for a little while and for that she was grateful. The past few days had left her emotionally drained and with Barry not remembering their timeline, the ride was far from over. It felt good to smile and laugh in the deceptive calm of midnight, commiserating over her exasperating boyfriend’s more vexing character traits. As they continued to converse in hushed tones, mindful of those sleeping around them, Iris found she got on rather well with Rip, despite their initial encounter. 

 

She didn’t remember drifting off to sleep, but she must have, because she woke to the sensation of someone tugging lightly at her blanket. She opened her eyes blearily to to the sight of pre-dawn light peeking through the windows to illuminate Len, who was awake and plucking at the jacket that had been placed over her.

 

“Should Barry and I be worried?” he asked wryly. Iris rolled her eyes and snuggled closer into his side.

 

“You’re captain’s actually quite sweet when he’s not going out of his way to be an ass. Kind of like you.”

 

“Hurtful. I never go out of my way, it comes naturally.” He smirked and Iris didn’t even try to resist the urge to kiss it off his face. He kissed her back like she was the balm to all his aches and Iris felt a tight knot of tension she hadn’t even noticed loosen, leaving her happy and languid in his embrace. They broke the kiss but neither went far, their noses brushing as they simply basked in each other’s presence for a moment. “I thought I’d never have this again,” Len whispered, his eyes drinking her in as though he was committing every pore to memory. Iris felt her eyes moisten as a lump formed in her throat.

 

“We almost lost you.”

 

His face fell in remorse. “I know.”

 

“You were going to break your promise.”

 

“There was no other way.”

 

“There was,” she stated simply, without judgement. “But you couldn’t live with it, could you?”

 

He looked down, his eyes not meeting hers for the first time since she woke. His actions had already answered that question for him. She crooked one finger beneath his chin and gently forced him to look at her.

 

“Why do I always fall for heroes?”

 

“I’m not-” he began with a huff, but she silenced him with a finger to his lips.

 

“Deny it all you want, but you can’t sit there and tell me you didn’t sacrifice yourself for someone you care about, that you didn’t do what needed to be done for the greater good.” She stared him down and he eventually begrudgingly tilted his head in acquiescence. “That makes you a hero.” The lump in her throat and the tears threatening to spill over were still there. She’d already lost someone she loved in the name of the greater good, and in all honesty, it wasn’t much comfort. Len might have lived this time, but they were all very aware he had gotten monumentally lucky. She wanted to ask, to beg, that he never do anything like this again, that he never throw himself in harm’s way in another’s place. But she also knew that if anyone asked that of her, no matter how ardently she promised, that vow would break the second someone she loved was in danger. Iris could never stand by while her family suffered, and she knew neither could Leonard. It would be cruel, and ultimately pointless, to ask him to make such a promise.

 

“Next time,” she demanded fiercely, her voice hard as steel. “You  _ will _ find the loophole. Promise me.”

 

He kissed her again, the taste of gratitude on his lips. “For you and Scarlet, I’d  _ make _ one.”

 

“I know you would, it’s what you’re best at,” she accused happily as she returned his kiss. She grinned happily, basking in the knowledge that something, at least, was going right. Len was back, and he wasn’t going anywhere if either of them had a say in it. 

 

Something caught her attention. She could have sworn his eyes had more green in their clear blue depths than she remembered. Noticing the minor detail reminded her of the first few hours of his return.

 

“Len,” she broached softly. “What was that, before? What were you writing?”

 

He sighed, snaking an arm around her to tuck her further against his body. “That’s a bit of a tough one to explain. At least, not in any way you’d understand.” He rolled his eyes in the face of her unimpressed expression. “That’s not a commentary on your intelligence.  _ I _ can barely get my head around it, and I experienced it. I guess the simplest answer would be that it’s...something like a manual.”

 

“A manual? For what?”

 

“Essentially, the Occulus.”

 

Iris frowned in confusion. “But you destroyed the Occulus...didn’t you?”

 

There was a loaded pause and from his guardedly sheepish expression, she knew she wasn’t going to like the answer. “We destroyed the machine the Time Masters were using to control time, yes.”

 

“ _ Leonard _ .”

  
“I want it on record that this is technically Ramon’s fault.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's Cisco's fault? Why you gotta be so dramatic Len?  
> Not quite sure where Rip came from, but he got me past my writer's block, so thanks Captain.


	26. Stolen Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry gets reacquainted with what it means to be home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More vague references to potential Flashpoint events. Seeing the promo shots of Kid Flash gave me some ideas.

Barry stood in the centre of the West family home and took a deep, shaky breath. This was home. The walls were lined with pictures of his and Iris’ childhood, the very air was thick with the taste of countless memories. He could make out near invisible scratches and dents along the walls and furniture from the painful year when his growth spurt had had him accidentally kicking and elbowing everything, unused to his longer limbs. If he squinted, he could see how the paint on one wall was a shade lighter than the rest, the sole remaining evidence of King Shark’s destruction. The entranceway was slowly becoming clogged with both Barry and Wally’s haphazardly piled sneakers and at least three of Joe’s beanies were scattered around the living room.

 

Barry was home.

 

He flopped down onto the couch bonelessly, letting his aching tiredness and soul-deep relief overwhelm him for a moment. He had left behind the ordeal of the timeline he’d created, returned it to a world that was once more familiar, but still there were consequences he could not escape. His parents were gone, but he once again had his friends and he had the Wests. He had his family. He had Iris in a way he’d only ever hoped for. And he had something he’d only ever contemplated in his wildest, most guarded fantasies.

 

He screwed his eyes shut as he recalled the look on Iris’ face when he told her he didn’t remember.

 

He both craved and dreaded the return of his memories, the desperate need to know how they could have gotten into this situation warring with his shock and disbelief that this could ever happen. A vibrant flush spread across his cheeks as it occurred to him that some of his guilty fantasies had quite likely been made reality. He’d always privately considered Leonard to be very attractive, but it had never even occurred to him that the feeling could be mutual, or that Iris would agree.

 

He really needed to stop thinking about it. Instead his mind replayed what he’d seen at the labs earlier. The love and trust between Leonard and Iris had been obvious and Barry could only assume that this timeline’s version of himself had shared that.To love Leonard Snart, to trust him absolutely, now that defied his imagination. He may be attractive and distracting, but he was still Barry’s enemy, frustrating and insufferable. Yet he’d been willing to join Rip Hunter’s mission to protect the greater good, and apparently become an inextricable part of the team. Barry’s lips twitched into a small smile. He had been right, there was good in Snart. Even more than he’d suspected. Was that what had made his other self fall in love with him? The lure of the charming scoundrel with a heart of gold? Barry couldn’t suppress a huff of mirth. Leonard would probably punch anyone who suggested he had a heart of gold.

 

“You’re back!”

 

Barry looked around as Wally’s voice dragged him out of his tumbling thoughts. Wally shut the front door a little harder than necessary, his face pinched in anger. Barry had never been happier to see him.

 

“Where the hell have you been, man? Iris has been worried si-” Wally’s rant was cut off in surprise as Barry crossed the room and pulled him into a tight hug. He knew was shaking and probably freaking Wally out, but he couldn’t help it. In that other timeline, he’d had to watch Wally die, powerless to help him. That would never happen again, not if Barry had any say in it.

 

“Barry?” Wally asked tentatively, the concern clear in his voice. “What happened?”

 

Barry pulled away, scrubbing at his wet eyes. “I was selfish and I screwed up,” he admitted softly, tiredly, all his guilt over what he’d witnessed written on his face. There had been so much death, so much suffering, and it had been all his fault. He sunk back down onto the couch and Wally mimicked him.

 

“Barry. What happened?” Wally repeated, and something in his face, in his tone, so reminiscent of Joe at his most supportive and understanding, had Barry recounting the whole ordeal. Wally stayed silent as he spoke, simply listening as Barry got it all out. It was unexpectedly cathartic, simply speaking about and acknowledging these events that would never be real to anyone else but had still marked him. When the tale finally wound down to it’s end, he was entirely unprepared for Wally’s response.

 

“Thank you.” The simple, soft statement completely floored him. “I get why you tried to save your mom, you know I do. What you did to fix it? What you were willing to do to save the world? That was a true sacrifice. I could never do that. That’s why you’re a hero.”

 

Barry hadn’t expected anyone would thank him. He’d assumed they would all berate him for making the mistake in the first place, as Harry had when he’d arrived in the altered timeline. It had never occurred to him that anyone would appreciate just what he’d had to give up to fix that mistake, how he had had to force himself to stand by and let his mother die. That simple statement of gratitude was worth more to him than he could ever express.

 

“Weren’t you listening? In that life, you were just as much of a hero,” Barry reminded him gently, his voice a little rough with emotion.

 

“Still,” Wally deflected with a slightly bashful shrug, his cheeks a little pink. “On behalf of humanity, thank you for fixing the timeline.”

 

“Mostly, anyway,” Barry couldn’t help but add a little bitterly.

 

“Mostly?” Wally frowned as Barry sighed.

 

“There are some...minor discrepancies. Little things that happened a bit differently in the original timeline.”

 

“Like what?”

 

“Like...Iris and I weren’t quite together,” Barry admitted, trying to skirt around the topic that had put his head in a spin before Wally arrived.

 

“Ah. I’m guessing the whole polyamory thing didn’t quite work out?” Wally apparently had other ideas.

 

“More like it never came up in the first place. As far as _I_ remember, Leonard Snart is my enemy and he and Iris have spoken a grand total of once.” He scowled when Wally chuckled in the face of his frustrated bewilderment.

 

“I did wonder about that, after I found out you were the Flash. I mean, it was weird enough when you were just a CSI, but then turns out he’s also your freakin’ nemesis?”

 

“I wouldn’t call him my nemesis,” Barry disagreed, feeling oddly indignant at the designation. “If anyone’s my nemesis, it’s Eobard Thawne. Or does he count as my arch-nemesis? Can you have more than one nemesis?”

 

“You would know better than me, man,” Wally pointed out with a chuckle and a helpless shrug. “All I know is, whatever you and Leonard got going, it works for you.”

 

“Except I don’t know what we’ve got!” Barry burst out, losing control of his frustration. “I don’t remember. I don’t remember being with him, I don’t remember _months_ of being with Iris.”

 

“Seriously?”

 

“Yeah. My memories should sync up eventually, but who knows how long that’ll take and I have no idea how it’ll affect me as a person. I don’t know if...if I’ll still be the person they fell for, the person they wanted. I don’t know if having my memories back will make me fall in love with...with him again. What if I get the memories, but none of the emotions attached?”

 

At the end of his rant, Wally could only look at him sadly, his gaze heavy with empathy.

 

“I’m guessing you haven’t talked to either of them about this?”

 

Barry let his head fall back to rest on the top of the couch, staring at the ceiling. “I told Iris my memories would come back eventually. I couldn’t tell her I might be a completely different person. She had enough to worry about.”

 

“If it’s any consolation, you seem pretty much the same to me. I don’t think you have to worry about whether or not they still love you.”

 

“Really?” Barry jerked his head back up, unable to help but latch onto the small hope Wally gave him.

 

“Really. But I also think it’ll be better for all of them if you go and talk to them. They deserve to know what’s up with you and I think if anyone’ll be able to help you through this, it’s them.”

 

“I don’t know. You seem to be doing a pretty good job,” Barry pointed out with a grateful smile.

 

Wally shrugged. “I try. Just imagine how much better at it Iris will be.”

 

“Alright, I get the hint,” Barry grumbled good-naturedly, feeling blissfully lighter after his talk with Wally. The clock above the mantle told him it was past midnight. “First thing tomorrow, I’ll go see Iris.”

 

“And Len?” It was unclear whether Wally intended that to be a question or a command. Barry sighed and tried to ignore the nerves twisting in his stomach.

  
“Yeah. Might as well make things as awkward as possible as soon as possible.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally I planned for Joe to be in this scene, but I figured it would be better for him to have this conversation with someone a little more supportive of his relationship. And then it turned into a great bonding moment for these two.  
> I miss writing Sassy Wally, but Supportive Wally is fun too.


	27. Thief's Reward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len faces his new reality.

“Pretty sure the fact that you're breathing is my fault.”

 

The soft interjection of Cisco's sleep-slurred voice reminded Len and Iris that they were not alone. Len twisted so he could see the other bed, Cisco blinking sleep from his eyes as Lisa groaned and snuggled closer into him. 

 

“True,” the thief conceded, well aware that he owed his current existence to the young engineer. “I owe you for that.”

 

“Damn right you do.” The response was flippant, but it was clear in Cisco's eyes that he understood the gravity of what he'd done, of what it meant for Len to owe him over this. “Seriously though, what’s my fault?”

 

Leonard sighed and shifted up, leaning against his pillows so he could comfortably talk to both of them. Iris curled closer, laying her head on his shoulder. “I don’t know how long I was in there. By the time you…”  _ Pulled me back together _ . One glance down into Iris’ curious eyes and he knew he couldn’t say that. She didn’t need to know the full extent of what he’d endured, not yet. She had already worried enough over him. “...pulled me out of there, that place, it…”  _ Flowed between my shattered, barely connected pieces. _ “...became a part of me. Or I was becoming a part of it. Either way, when you dragged me out, some of it came with me.”

 

“Please tell me that’s not as bad as it sounds,” Cisco implored, Iris’ worried eyes echoing the sentiment.

 

“I don’t think it’s bad, just…” he let his vision lose focus, the shifting lights and shadows at the edge of his vision now dominating his sight, negative images of what could have been and what could be, all moving together and through each other in a confusing mass. He blinked hard to banish them back to his peripherals. “...different.”

* * *

 

As much as Leonard loved attention, there was only so much gratitude and, surprisingly, affection, he could stand. The second he’d stood up he’d been enveloped in a bearhug from Mick, whose eyes had been suspiciously shiny. Once he’d let go, Sara followed Mick’s example. Iris, Lisa, Caitlin and Kendra wouldn’t stop fussing over him, although at least in that he wasn’t alone, with Cisco being just as smothered. It was the kind of attention that he really wasn’t used to, and after Iris had to reluctantly leave for work, he took the first opportunity to slip out of the limelight. It took barely any convincing to get Harry to show him the lab where he and Ray had been going over his writing, but getting him to leave Len alone was harder. He managed by refusing to say any more about the cipher until he’d read over his notes, with heavy emphasis on the fact that he was technically still recovering from death. 

 

Len’s request for privacy was hastily honored after that. His shrewd eyes mapped the symbols displayed on the monitors, a little disturbed by the sheer amount of understanding he got from the otherwise unfamiliar characters. The notations Harry and Ray had made on the whiteboard made him smirk a little in derision. In truth, they weren’t that far off, but their way of thinking was far too three dimensional. They simply didn’t get it. He doubted anyone else ever would. When he’d written it, even he hadn’t been entirely aware of what he was doing, the urge to record the jumble of information had just spilled out of him in an irrepressible compulsion. Analysing it now, it had still taken him a while to realise that half of what he was reading was being formed by the same light that undulated at the edge of his vision. No one else would ever understand this simply because they couldn’t see what he could. He tried not to think about what that meant too much, it was overwhelming enough dealing with this entirely new sensory input. 

 

“Oh. I didn’t realise someone was in here.”

 

Leonard was dragged away from his musings by the sound of Barry’s voice. The speedster himself stood in the doorway blinking like a deer in the headlights. That look brought a stab of pain to his chest, just like it had when he’d woken only to see Barry run from him.

 

“That’s because I’m hiding.” Len hated the way his voice slipped into that familiar mocking drawl, all his old walls rising against his will to protect him from one of the few people they weren’t supposed to keep out. Barry couldn’t seem to decide whether or not he was allowed to look Len in the eye, his gaze pinging back and forth between him and every other other object in the room. He was so rigid with tension Len could see the tiny vibrations in his frame. “Relax, Scarlet. Iris told me about your little situation.” He purposefully looked back at the monitor, forcing his voice to remain steady. “I don’t expect a warm welcome.”

 

“Well, at least some things never change,” Barry muttered self-deprecatingly as he took a deliberate step into the room. “I actually came here to talk to you. And Iris.”

 

Len turned his gaze back to him, one eyebrow arched. “Its Monday. Iris is at work. Sorry to disappoint.”

 

“I’m not-” Barry cut himself off with a sigh, tiredly dragging one hand down his face. When he refocused, he seemed to finally take notice of the cipher displayed on every available surface, frowning as he turned from monitor to board. “What is all this?” 

 

“This,” Len gestured expansively around him, “is time. Or, more specifically, a detailed description of how it works. Blueprints to the fourth dimension.”

 

“You’re kidding?!” Barry gasped, his eyes as wide as saucers as he momentarily forgot the awkwardness between them in the face such a mind-blowing concept. “What-how-where did this even come from?”

 

“I wrote it.” Len almost laughed out loud at Barry’s gobsmacked expression, a palpable swell of affection overwhelming him. He only realised he was smiling warmly at the younger man when Barry’s expression of awe shifted to one of nervous uncertainty when their eyes met. “I take it no one filled you in on my little misadventure?” He smoothly changed the subject, allowing them both to move past the charged moment.

 

“The last I’d heard, you’d been recruited to help take down Savage.” Barry paused, scrutinising Leonard with blatant curiosity for a moment. “Gotta say, I was surprised you agreed.” 

 

“I don’t think there’s any timeline where I turn down the chance to become the greatest thief of all time,” Len couldn’t help but purr, irrationally happy to see Barry just roll his eyes good-naturedly at his theatrics.

 

“Sure. I bet it had nothing at all to do with saving the timeline,” Barry shot back sarcastically.

 

“I’ll admit, I am struggling to put a selfish spin on getting blown up to return free-will to the universe.”

 

“You...got blown up?” Barry sounded like he’d just been sucker punched. Len very deliberately did not look at his face, not entirely sure what he was afraid he’d see.

 

“Technically, I got scattered across the Temporal Zone. Semantics.” He shrugged. 

 

“Scattered...but Cisco, he was able to bring you back, somehow?”

 

“Thankfully. Pretty sure doing it almost killed him, and he didn’t quite get to cleaning out the dust before he glued me back together. Hence,” he gestured once more to the cipher. He finally steeled himself to look at Barry again, shocked to find him blanched and staring at Len as though he’d lost his head. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. I’m fine.”

 

“Fine? You got blown up!”

 

“And like I said, I'm fine.”

 

“Yeah, NOW! And that's not the point. You died! How could you do that to Lisa? Or to Iris?” Barry berated, his familiar righteous anger burning in his eyes as his voice grew to a yell. Len’s eyebrows rose steadily with Barry's ire. Iris had called him a hero and Barry was tearing him a new one. Definitely not the reception he'd expected, especially considering the state of Barry's memories.

 

“Well, I wasn’t gonna let Mick do it, now was I?”

 

“Mick?! Heatwave was going to…?” Barry trailed off, all the wind knocked out of him, sitting down heavily in a vacant chair looking utterly dumbfounded.

 

“To be fair, I blame Raymond for that one. Mick’s had a soft spot for the Eagle Scout since he took a beating for him in Russia.”

 

“I missed so much,” Barry groaned into his hands, although he seemed to be talking more to himself than Leonard. “I messed with the timeline and now I barely recognise people.”

 

“Actually, you were always going to miss that particular development,” Len informed him absently as he went back to looking over his notes in a pathetic effort to restrain himself from comforting the younger man.

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“There is no scenario where you end up on the Waverider,” he elaborated. “You’re too crucial to too many events for Rip to ever consider recruiting you.

 

“How could you possibly know that?”

 

Len glanced back at the speedster to see him peering at him with all the focus and curiosity of a born scientist. Len huffed and rapped a knuckle on the whiteboard.

 

“I told you, Scarlet; I’ve got the blueprints.” There may have been a small hint of smugness in his voice. Barry just pinched his brow as he digested the information.

 

“So, what, you’re clairvoyant now?”

 

“I wouldn’t go that far. I’m just...aware of all the options. Not necessarily all of the consequences.”

 

Barry sucked in a harsh breath. “Wow. That sounds-”

 

“-Annoying is what it is,” Len interrupted with a frustrated snap. While he could certainly appreciate the usefulness of his new perception, habituating to it was still an uncomfortable process. “I’ve got a dozen movies playing in my peripheral vision, all with terrible reception. And that’s when I’m not even trying to see them.”

 

Barry’s face fell in sympathy and for one bittersweet moment Len thought he was going to get up and hug him. The realisation that he was dealing with a Barry who didn’t love him left him feeling lost and hollow. He let his arms wrap protectively around his middle, afraid of how much he still trusted someone who amounted to a stranger.

 

“I can think of worse super powers,” the hero tried.

 

“What, like superspeed?” Len drawled, thankful his bitterness could be attributed to simple jealousy.

 

“Like Griffin Grey, whose super-strength made him age rapidly until he died of old age at 19. Or like Killer Frost, who can’t touch anyone without them freezing to death,” Barry countered plainly. “You’re alive. You can still function normally. It could be worse.”

 

“If you’re saying I have nothing to complain about then you really don’t know me at all.” The quip was out before Len could catch it. He heard the almost guilty hitch of the speedster’s breath and shut his eyes slowly as he internally cursed himself. Neither of them needed the reminder of how true that statement currently was.

 

“But I want to.”

 

Len’s gaze snapped up to meet Barry’s so fast he actually felt a twinge in his neck. Barry looked a little unsure but determined, his jaw set as he made up his mind. Len knew that look; it was the one he got when he was set a challenge he had every intention of meeting, even if he wasn’t sure how.

 

“You want to know me, Barry?” Len’s tone was softer than he’d intended but he didn’t care, the barest edge of hope shining through. He found himself reminded of another charged moment, sitting across from a young, plucky reporter as she looked him in the eye and calmly told him she wanted to know him, the real him. He remembered the way his heart had jumped into his throat, just like it was now.

 

“Yes.” Barry’s statement was soft but firm, his gaze never breaking even as he swallowed nervously. “Ever since I got back, I’ve been trying to figure out how this,” he gestured between them, “could have happened. But I’ve been in here, what? Ten minutes? And I can already see you’re not the Captain Cold I knew. I don’t know if that’s because of the different timeline or because of...because of  _ us _ , but if Iris cares about you...if  _ I _ cared about you...then I want to try and see why. And maybe,” he looked down at the hands fidgeting in his lap, a light blush growing on his cheeks as he took a deep breath, “maybe I can find that again.”

 

Len couldn’t keep the small fond smile off his lips even if he’d wanted to. He shut his eyes to hide the moisture gathering there. He didn’t ever want to see the universe where Barry Allen failed to be so sweet, naive and trusting. 

 

“Some things never change,” he murmured, softly echoing Barry’s earlier words. He looked at Barry, who was biting his lip nervously, a question in his eyes. “Well, I suppose there’s no time like the present. How bout we relocate to Frankie’s? I’ve been craving a decent burger since I woke up.”

 

Barry’s whole body jolted in surprise. Len rolled his eyes at him. “Don’t worry, I already swore to you once I’d never tell Ramon you secretly think Frankie’s is better than Big Belly Burger.”

 

“I took you there.” Both men blinked in the face of Barry’s soft words.

 

“You...you remember?” Len asked, barely suppressing a wave of hope.

 

“Not much,” Barry admitted with a wince. “Just...you said you wanted burgers. So I took you there.” A small, tentative smile curved Barry’s lips.

 

Len’s answering grin could have split his face in half.

  
“Let’s go see if we can jog that memory some more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could have dragged this out, but I didn't want to do that to myself or to my characters.
> 
> Just one more chapter planned!


	28. Last Supper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing like good food to bring a family together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Threw some Jarrison in the last chapter because why the fuck not?

Iris received a rather unexpected visitor for lunch that day. It came as a welcome distraction since her work had largely failed to help her forget the gnawing worry in her gut.

 

“Hey, Baby Girl, feel like getting lunch with your old man?” Joe greeted her cheerfully as he approached her desk. Iris gave her father a warm smile as she hastily saved her document.

 

“Sure, Dad, sounds great. Let me just grab my stuff.” Within a minute they were stepping out into the sweltering summer air. As they made their way down the street, it occurred to Iris that Joe hadn’t mentioned where they were going. She gave him a sidelong glance, taking note of the way his smile seemed, not forced, but as though it was an expression he was consciously holding.

 

“Ok, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?” she asked with a long suffering huff as they sat down side by side at a sushi place that just so happened to be one of her favourites. Joe gave her a look of faux-indignation.

 

“What, a man can’t want to share a meal with his daughter for no reason?”

 

She rolled her eyes. “Sure he can. But you have clearly got something on your mind, so you might as well get it over with.” Mentally, she steeled herself for whatever disapproving speech was coming.

 

“You’re right,” Joe admitted with a soft sigh, using the distribution of soy sauce as an excuse not to meet her eyes. “But it’s probably not what you’re thinking. I got a visit from Harry last night.”

 

Iris frowned for a moment and then her eyebrows shot up as she stared at her father with scandalised delight.

 

“What? Why you looking at me like that?” His confusion turned to incredulity and actual indignation at her knowing, suggestive look. “First of all, get your mind out of the gutter. Second of all, I have no idea where you coulda got such a crazy idea. Me ‘n’ Harry, how can you-, I mean, he doesn’t even-”

 

“Dad? You’re blushing,” she interrupted gleefully. His scowl was indeed a rosy shade of red.

 

“We are not here to talk about me.”

 

“Noted.” Iris let it drop, but her smirk was still firmly in place.

 

“He came to tell me about Barry,” Joe continued on determinedly. That got her expression to fall. “About what he went through. How his memories, well, both of their memories, don’t quite match our timeline anymore.”

 

“Yeah,” Iris said, a little shakily, her shoulders hunching subconsciously. “Barry said they’ll sync up eventually, though. It’ll just take time.”

 

“And you? How are you handling it?” He met her eyes with concern. “Harry said that in the other timeline, you and Barry weren’t together, let alone,” he gestured vaguely with his chopsticks, “the other stuff. He doesn’t remember what you all had. I can’t imagine how hard that must be for you. After everything that’s gone down lately...I just wanted to make sure you’re OK.”

 

“Not yet,” she admitted quietly, prompting Joe to wrap one comforting arm around her shoulders. She leaned into the gesture gratefully. “But I think I will be. It’s just...been a lot, all at once.”

 

“Well, you can always come to me if you ever need anything. You know that, right?”

 

“Yeah, Dad, I do,” she assured him, smiling through misty eyes.

 

“Good.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Anyway, about Barry. Harry said the more immersed and connected he is to the people of this timeline, the faster he’ll probably start to remember.”

 

“Ok…”

 

“So I was thinking, you should all come over for dinner.”

 

Iris’ sushi dropped from between her chopsticks, but she ignored it in favour of staring at him in shock. “All?” 

 

“All,” Joe confirmed with a nod. “Might as well throw Barry in the deep end. And...Leonard could probably use a decent home-cooked meal after what he’s just been through.” He looked a little sheepish for some reason. “Harry gave me an update on all that, too.”

 

“So you know what he did?”

 

“Yeah,” he admitted with a weary sigh. “And I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong. Maybe that leopard of yours can change his spots after all,” he grudgingly grumbled. Iris just beamed at him, feeling somehow lighter with this small show of acceptance from her father. “Besides, we never did get to have the whole ‘meet the parents’ dinner thing. And my shotgun could use a clean.”

 

“Dad, you are not gonna clean your shotgun while meeting my boyfriend. Whom you have already met,” Iris berated with a laugh.

 

“It’s the principle of the thing!” Joe insisted with faux-seriousness. “Although maybe I should borrow Harry’s pulse rifle instead.”

 

“No guns. Although, we could always invite Harry too. He needs to get his memories back on track as well,” Iris suggested innocently, having difficulty eating her sushi through her grin.

 

“I see what your doing and I don’t like it.”

 

“Don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m just trying to help out a friend.”

 

“Oh sure,” Joe scoffed. “Don’t forget who taught you how to meddle. I know all your tricks.”

 

Despite what her father might think, Iris had been serious when she’d said Harry needed to get his memories synced as well. Initially hesitant to intrude, she eventually managed to get him to agree to join them. It was easier once Cisco offered to open a portal so Barry could bring Jesse over. She texted Barry about it, receiving confirmation that he’d be there, and then went in search of Len. To her surprise, Iris found that she needn’t have bothered texting Barry; she found them together in one of the labs, arguing, surrounded by the remnants of take-out from Frankie’s. Iris stood in the doorway, unnoticed, watching their back and forth like a tennis match.

 

“Come on, Scarlet, now you’re not even trying.”

 

“We’ve been through most of the-, wait, don’t tell me it’s frickin’ red?”

 

“Do I really strike you as that much of a clich é ?” 

 

“You said the exact same thing when I said navy.”

 

“It still applies.”

 

“This is ridiculous, we’ve covered the whole damn rainbow!”

 

“Not my fault you’re unimaginative.”

 

“Unimaginative? There are only so many colours!”

 

“And yet you still haven’t guessed.”

 

“Len, stop teasing him. It’s a trick question and you know it,” Iris interrupted, having figured out why they were arguing and decided to put a stop to it before there was bloodshed; Barry had begun to look rather murderous. 

 

“It’s not. Silver is so a colour,” Len insisted.

 

“Silver is a metal. That is grey. You’re favourite colour is grey,” she stated pointedly.

 

“I’m not having this arguement with you again,” Len grumbled flatly, and Iris knew that meant she’d won. Barry watched their exchange with undisguised amusement, unaccustomed to Iris’ ability to get the better of Len verbally. She turned to the speedster and gave him a kiss on the cheek that made his face split into a surprised, dopey grin. She was happy to see it didn’t waver even when she did the same to Len.

 

“Are you boys playing nice?”

 

“I always play nice,” Len assured her, the picture of dastardly innocence. Behind Iris, Barry made a choking noise and they both looked at him curiously.

 

“Sorry, just...remembered something.”

 

“Oh really?” Len’s tone was practically predatory as his piercing gaze took in the sudden blush high on Barry’s cheeks. “What was it this time?”

 

“Nuth-nothing relevant,” the hero managed to stutter. Len looked like he was about to push further, but Iris stopped him with a reprimanding look, knowing this Barry probably wouldn’t take too well to his teasing.

 

“Did Barry tell you the news?” she enquired innocently, leaning against him and smiling when his hand automatically snaked around her waist to rest on her hip.

 

“What news?” Len asked slowly as he narrowed his eyes at her, instantly suspicious. Her widening smirk didn’t help matters.

 

“We’re having dinner at Dad’s place tonight.”

 

“We?” Leonard Snart had faced down heroes, villains, immortal psychopaths and time-traveling assassins, yet it was the thought of having dinner with her father that had him looking ready to pass out. “You can’t be serious?” He stared at her with wide eyes, clearly waiting for her to admit the joke. She just calmly continued to meet his gaze with a smirk that was slowly turning into a grin. Behind her, Barry was doing a terrible job of trying not to laugh.

 

“Your father, Joseph West, detective at the CCPD, is actually,  _ willingly, _ inviting  _ me _ into his house?”

 

“Don’t forget, he plans to feed you, too,” Barry added helpfully. Len turned his horrified eyes to him but Barry just mimicked Iris with his amused calm.

 

“But he  _ hates _ me,” Len stated with dumbfounded vehemence that was slowly slipping into suspicion. 

 

“Harry might have told him what you did,” Iris clarified, finally taking pity on him. “I think you may have actually impressed him.”

 

Len frowned for a moment before pinching the bridge of his nose, looking pained. “Crap. I’ve gone and given people  _ expectations _ , haven’t I?”

 

Both Barry and Iris cracked up laughing with absolutely no sympathy, their mirth further fuelled by his unimpressed scowl which was fighting rather valiantly to become a fond smile. Iris herself felt a sense of warm happiness and affection washing over her, feeling lighter and more carefree than she had in days. Things may not be perfect, but she had both of her boys back and they were happy, Barry grinning that big, goofy grin of his as their laughter ebbed, Len finally giving up and smiling like he could barely believe they were there with him. Iris knew that she herself was smiling like a lovestruck fool, but to be honest, it was a title she could not personally refute. 

 

“You laugh now, but when you’re father has me at gunpoint later, I get to say I told you so,” Len grumbled good-naturedly.

 

“Actually, I made him promise no guns after he started making noises about Harry’s pulse rifle.”

 

“And you wonder why I’m worried.”

 

Dinner could have been a painful, awkward affair. Thankfully, the fact that all parties were making an effort to be cordial helped to smooth over a lot of the bumps. Iris arrived with Len, Barry having left them earlier to pick up a few things, such as Jesse. There was a tense moment when Joe answered the door, both men staring at each other with guarded, suspicious eyes. The moment broke when Joe extended a hand between them and Len shook it with only a moment’s hesitation. It didn’t look like either of them was trying to crush the other’s fingers either. Iris hadn’t realised she’d been holding her breath until she let it out in that moment.

 

Once inside, the tension eased even further with Wally and the Wells’ to act as a social buffer. It turned out that Wally had dropped by STARlabs earlier and gotten talking to Jax about the timeship, and now he and Jesse both eagerly drew Len into a discussion about time-travel, both of them clearly fascinated by the subject. Harry occasionally chimed in from the kitchen, where he was helping Joe. Apparently there was going to be some Earth-2 cuisine on the menu tonight.

 

Barry arrived in a rush of air with some last minute groceries for Joe. The smile he gave Iris and Len when he entered the living room was shy and tentative yet hopeful. Once he realised the subject matter, Barry dived into the conversation, eager to share his own theories. Iris was content to lean against Len on the couch and observe, entertained by the enthusiasm of the younger three and the joy Len seemed to get from dropping vague hints and watching them work towards a conclusion he already knew.

 

Volunteering to set the table, Iris couldn’t help but grin at the sight that met her when she entered the kitchen. Two grown men bickering heatedly over the  _ right _ way to make lasagne as they cooked, both of them looking like they were immensely enjoying themselves and absolutely certain they could convince the other they were wrong. Joe scowled when Iris wiggled her eyebrows at him as she collected the plates, but as she headed for the dining room she caught a glance Harry threw at Joe’s back; something thoughtful and maybe a little wistful. Len raised an eyebrow at her when she emerged from the kitchen grinning like a fool, but she just shook her head at him. She’d barely set down the first plate before Barry had whipped them out of her hands and flashed all the fixings onto the table, grinning impishly in the face of her judging look.

 

The actual meal was rambunctious, with multiple conversations running at once over the clinking of cutlery on crockery. Jesse had demanded to know just how much she’d missed, and Iris could actually see it on Barry’s face when new memories slotted into place as both sides told their stories. It was probably just little things, but it was encouraging knowing that with enough time they would build up until every gap was filled. Len and Joe were both a little guarded when they sat down, but the combined force of good food and enthusiastic, boisterous friends drawing them into conversation soon had both men relaxing a little. Joe was visibly horrified with himself when one of Len’s sneaky puns made him snort in barely suppressed amusement, the look on his face prompting the rest of the table to crack up laughing.

 

Iris found herself thinking back to the conversation she’d had with her father earlier that day. At the time, she’d told him the truth when she said she wasn’t okay. But she’d also been right when she said she would be, because right now, surrounded by family, seeing the way there was more and more feeling in Barry’s eyes whenever he looked at Len, hearing Len slip puns into every other sentence just to make Joe snort against his will...right now, Iris was more than okay.

 

Both of her hands were under the table, each clasped in the palm of one of the incredible, crazy men she’d fallen in love with.

  
Right now, Iris was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit I actually finished it.  
> This has been a wild ride. I never expected my little 'what if' scenario to turn into this monster. Thanks to all of you who stuck with me through this, special thanks to all those who commented and kudosed, you all are the reason I made it this far.
> 
> May eventually post snippets from within this 'verse, let me know if there is anything you'd like to see.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Run the Clock Down](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8554603) by [HaneleHaralue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaneleHaralue/pseuds/HaneleHaralue)




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